Story by Gail Nobles © 2025
Illustration by Gail Nobles
There dwelt a blue jay whose feathers were beautiful and blue. He strutted among the branches and spoke: “Behold my beauty; surely I am second to none in all the birds of the field.” And the other birds marveled, but none challenged his words, for his voice was bold and his tail a banner in the sun.
Then came a season of scant seeds and a famine pressed the birds with hunger. The blue jay, seeing the need, would not share his store, saying, “This plenty is mine.” He the crumbs and filled his own beak, while the little ones looked on with eyes not of scorn but of thirst and hunger.
And a storm arose, and the trees cried aloud, and the blue jay found himself pressed by wind and rain. A steadfast robin, who had once given him shelter in a dry place, beckoned him to follow to a hollow of rock and fern. The jay’s pride yielded not, yet the robin persisted, saying, “The path is for all who hunger.”
At last the blue jay, moved by hunger and memory, opened his beak and shared what remained, and the birds gathered, not in envy but in gratitude. Then the wind calmed, the rain ceased, and the meadow learned a truth: not by the brightness of a coat but by the generosity of a heart is a creature counted great. Therefore, the blue jay’s fame grew not for his blue alone, but for the mercy he showed, which outshone the glitter of feathers.
True light is kindled in giving, and pride is peeled away by the call of those who hunger.
I'm Gail Nobles. Thank you for listening to the InkPost.
Episode Transcript
Two day's episode from The Ink Post Blue Jay by
Gale Nobles, copyright two thousand twenty five. There dwelt a
blue jay whose feathers were beautiful and blue. He scrutted
among the branches and spoke, behold my beauty. Surely I
(00:24):
am second to none in all the birds of the field.
And the other birds marveled, but none challenged his words,
for his voice was bold, and his tail a banner
in the sun. Then came a season of scant seas,
and a famine pressed the birds with hunger. The blue jay,
(00:47):
seeing the need, would not share his store, saying this
plenty is mine. He kept the crumbs and filled his
own beak, while the little ones looked on with eyes
not of scorn, but of thirst and hunger. And a
(01:09):
storm arose, and the trees cried aloud, and the blue
jay found himself pressed by wind and rain. A steadfast robin,
who had once given him shelter in a dry place,
beckoned him to follow to a hollow of rock and fern.
(01:29):
The jay's pride yielded, not yet the robin persisted, saying
the path is for all who hunger. At last, the
blue jay, moved by hunger and memory. Opened his beak
and shared what remained, and the birds gathered, not in
(01:52):
envy but in gratitude. Then the wind calmed, the rain ceased,
and the meadow learned a truth. Not by the brightness
of a coat, but by the generosity of a heart
is a creature counted great. Therefore the blue jay's fame
(02:14):
grew not for his blue alone, but for the mercy
he showed, which outshone the glitter of feathers. True light
is kindled in giving, and pride is peeled away by
the call of those who hunger. I'm Gale, Nobles, thank
(02:38):
you for listening to the ink post.
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