Dive like a Dipper

All the flying birds sought to find the one thing that made them special.

The robin woke up the earliest. The falcon flew the fastest. The cardinal was the reddest, and so on.

The Dipper flew off to find what it would be known for. It saw a waterfall and began to build a nest.

The other birds asked the Dipper, “Why do you live by a waterfall? It’s rocky and loud.”

The Dipper replied, “Why not?”

And the Dipper built a strong nest on the rocky edge of the waterfall, away from sneaky snakes and bothersome squirrels. When it finished, the Dipper celebrated by singing a lovely song that rivaled the infamy of the lark.

The other birds asked, “Isn’t it enough to be known for your waterfall nest? Why do you sing as well as the lark?”

The Dipper replied, “Why not?”

And the Dipper continued to sing its lovely song along the water’s edge. Until one day it decided to dive into the rapid flowing stream. And it found that it could swim as well as it flew. So the Dipper enjoyed a breakfast of aquatic insects and fish eggs.

The other birds scoffed, “Now this is just too much. You fly, you sing. Now must you really swim?”

The Dipper replied, “Why not?”

And while other birds were known for just their color or song or speed - the Dipper continued to discover new joys by trying new things.