The mountain that loved a bird

1. The Mountain that Loved a Bird
By: Alice McLerran

There was once a mountain made of bare
stone. But then one day, a small bird appeared.
“My name is Joy, and I come from distant
lands.” Then, she began to sing a gentle, bell-
like song, the first music the mountain had
ever heard.
At the end of each visit, the mountain is
always asked: “Isn’t there some way you could
stay?”. The mountain watched as she
disappeared into the sky and suddenly its heart
broke. Joy rested on her ledge looking at the
stream of tears. Joy returned, carrying in her
beak a small seed. The mountain’s tears
became tears of joy.