Courageous Chikki

Hey everyone! As exam season is approaching rapidly for people of all ages, I wanted to share a short story that contains some advice I hope you'll take to heart.

In a big banyan tree by the edge of a quiet village school lived a young sparrow named Chikki and her family. Chikki was very bright but also very tiny. Compared to her peers, she wasn't as strong or as capable. To overcome this, she decided to work as hard as possible to rise above any barrier between herself and her classmates.With this mindset, she breezed through the year but as the school year came to an end, she became increasingly anxious about how she would perform on her flying exam.

“What if I don't fly high enough to make my parents proud?” she chittered to herself. “What if I’m the only one who can’t fly?” Her thoughts were clouded by the fear of failure.

Every night, Chikki stayed up late reading her books under the moonlight, barely getting any sleep. Her wings drooped with exhaustion, her eyes could barely stay open during the day, and her sweet songs lost their cheer.

Seeing this, the wise old owl, Master Hoot, called her aside after class.

“Why do you worry so much, little one?” he asked kindly.

“I’m scared I won’t do well,” Chikki admitted. “What if I fail?”

Master Hoot gently smiled. The fear of exams had once gotten to him, too, and he understood exactly where Chikki was coming from.

He whispered, “Let me tell you a secret. The tree you perch on now once grew from a tiny seed. It didn’t worry about how tall it would get: it just kept growing, day by day. You’ve studied, worked hard, and done your best. Now let the winds carry you forward.”

Chikki took a deep breath, calmed her fluttering heart, and decided to rest well before the big day. When the exam arrived, Chikki watched all her peers pass one by one. She was still nervous but she remembered Master Hoot’s words. She took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and stepped into the starting position for flight. At the sound of the countdown, Chikki focused only on Master Hoot’s advice and she flew.

She flew alongside the breeze, flew around the obstacle course, and flew with confidence. When she finally landed, she was met with applause and cheerful chirps all around. Chikki beamed with pride. Years later, Chikki became a teacher herself. When she met a student who shared the same worries she once had, she smiled gently and passed along Master Hoot’s words.

At the end of the day everything that is supposed to work out will work out, our job is simply to do our best!