Angel Animals Story of the Week, 2-27-05, "No Ugly Swans" -- Angel Animals Story of the Week

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Date Posted: 09:54:09 03/04/05 Fri
Author: Allen Anderson
Subject: Angel Animals Story of the Week, 2-27-05, "No Ugly Swans"

Angel Animals Story of the Week
February 27, 2005
Visit us at www.angelanimals.net

Dear Friends of Angel Animals,

Welcome to the Angel Animals Story of the Week.

It has been an interesting week for our cat, Speedy. He has taken a liking to a large brown paper bag from Menards, a store that sells home repair and remodeling items. Each morning, Speedy rushes from downstairs, where he's been sleeping, into the living room and hurls himself either inside or on top of the bag.

We're not sure why. He has the couch, soft chairs, even the bed to rest and sleep on. But no, Speedy has decided that this paper bag, which landed on the floor near the kitchen, is where he must remain. The bag belongs to him and everyone, including Cuddles, Taylor, Linda, and Allen have had to accept his new attachment. Go figure!

On an entirely different subject, we were heartened today when one of the 20,000 people from 40 countries, who read this newsletter, sent us the following letter:

"Dear Allen and Linda,
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you two and all you do for the love of animals. You'll never know how much I enjoy your newsletter and reading the beautiful animal stories every week. I feel like I've been to church and Sunday School with every reading. Thank you so much!"
--Mary G. Hill, Durant, Oklahoma

In today's story we learn how a formation of swans and a lonely, freezing Canada goose had their lives intersect in the most amazing way.

We welcome your stories for possible future publication in this newsletter or in one of our upcoming books.

If you want to be a writer or a better and more productive one, visit www.writingontherun.com and subscribe to our "Writing on the Run Tip of the Week."

We invite you to e-mail this week's newsletter in its entirety to others who might enjoy it.

Animal blessings,
Allen & Linda Anderson

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STORY OF THE WEEK

NO UGLY SWANS
By Charlotte Edwards, January 11, 2005

Where we live, on the Eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips. They curl into the smaller creeks and coves like tender palms. The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and the ducks who ride an inch above the waves of Chesapeake Bay as they skim their way into harbor. In the autumn, by the thousands, they come home for the winter.

The swans move toward the shores in a stately glide, their tall heads proud and unafraid. They lower their long necks deep into the water, where their strong beaks dig through the river bottoms for food. And there is, between the arrogant swans and the prolific geese, an indifference, almost a disdain.

Once or twice each year, snow and sleet move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, or the creek shallow, there is a freeze, which hardens the water to ice.

It was on such a morning, near Osford, Maryland, that a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Across the river, beyond the dock, the snow laced the rim of the shore in white. For a moment my friend stood quietly, looking at what the night's storm had painted.

Suddenly she leaned forward and peered close to the frosted window. "It really is," she cried out loud, "there is a goose out there." She reached to the bookcase and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Into their sights came the figure of a large Canada goose, very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to the ice.

Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They moved in their own singular formation, graceful, intrepid, and free. They crossed from the west of the broad creek high above the house, moving steadily to the east.

As my friend watched, the leader swung to the right, then the white string of birds became a white circle. It floated from the top of the sky downward. At last, as easy as feathers coming to earth, the circle landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet now, with one unbelieving hand against her mouth. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life he still had might be pecked out by those great swan bills.

Instead, amazingly instead, those bills began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again; it went on for a long time. At last, the goose was rimmed by a narrow margin of ice instead of the entire creek. The swans rose again, following the leader, and hovered in that circle, awaiting the results of their labors.

The goose's head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free and standing on the ice. He was moving his big webbed feet slowly. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if he had cried, "I cannot fly," four of the swans came down around him. Their powerful beaks scraped the goose's wings from top to bottom, scuttled under its wings and rode up its body, chipping off and melting the ice held in the feathers. Slowly, as if testing, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go, brought them together, accordion-like, and spread again.

When at last the wings reached their fullest, the four swans took off and joined the hovering group. They resumed their eastward journey, in perfect formation, to their secret destination.

Behind them, rising with incredible speed and joy, the goose moved into the sky. He followed them, flapping double time, until he caught up, until he joined the last end of the line, like a small child at the end of a crack-the-whip of older boys.

My friend watched them until they disappeared over the tips of the farthest trees. Only then, in the dusk, which was suddenly deep, did she realize that tears were running down her cheeks and had been for how long she didn't know.

This is a true story. It happened. I do not try to interpret it. I just think of it in the bad moments, and from it comes only one hopeful question: "If so for birds, why not for man?

Reprinted with permission from www.rense.com

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

When were the unlikely circumstances that you have felt the divine touch of an animal who cared?

* * * * *

ANGEL ANIMALS QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"A kitten is a rosebud in the garden of the animal kingdom."
--Robert Southey

"....But love from a cat is special. When a cat is in the mood, it may give a lick or two with its rough tongue or it may leap into a lap and settle down. But none of these small miracles occurs because some human being has snapped his or her fingers or whistled."
--Dr. Louis J. Camuti, ALL MY PATIENTS ARE UNDER THE BED, pg. 9

"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down."
-Robert Benchley

"I, who had Had my heart full for hours, took advantage of an early moment of solitude, to cry in it very bitterly. Suddenly a little hairy head thrust itself from behind my pillow into my face, rubbing its ears and nose against me in a responsive agitation, and drying the tears as they came."
--Elizabeth Barrett Browing (1806-1861)

* * * * *

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANGEL CATS: Divine Messengers of Comfort, GOD'S MESSENGERS: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine, and ANGEL ANIMALS: Exploring Our Spiritual Connection with Animals are available at online or regular bookstores and at many gift shops that sell animal books. ANGEL CATS is also a selection of One Spirit Book Club.

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OTHER INFORMATION

The Angel Animals Network is devoted to collecting and disseminating original, true stories about the spiritual connection between people and animals. You can learn more about the Angel Animals Network at www.angelanimals.net.

If you send this newsletter to others (and we hope that you will), please don't change it in anyway and include the information above about the Angel Animals Network. Thank you.

This newsletter is sent to you by the Angel Animals Network. Copyright 2005, Allen and Linda Anderson, Angel Animals Network. All rights reserved. Nothing in this newsletter may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual authors and/or copyright owners. Angel Animals(r) is a registered trademark.

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