Ecclesiastes 10:20

The Little Bird That Tells

A bird of the air shall carry the voice. Ecclesiastes 10:20.

I wonder how many of you know the story of the “cranes of Ibycos.”

Ibycos was a Greek poet who lived more than five hundred years before Christ. He was murdered near Corinth by robbers. As he lay dying, a flock of cranes flew overhead and he called upon them to avenge his death. His murderers went with their plunder to Corinth and, shortly after, as they were sitting amid the crowds in the theatre, the same flock of cranes hovered above them. One of the men cried out in terror, “Behold the avengers of Ibycos!” So the guilty secret was betrayed, and the murderers were brought to justice.

That is rather a terrible story, and yet I wonder if you and I have not met something rather like it. I think we have. Have you never done something you didn't want your mother to know? You thought you had hidden all traces of the deed, and that she couldn't possibly find out. And then you discovered that in some mysterious way she knew all about it. Who told her? You never mentioned it, and your companions were bound to secrecy. Who then betrayed you?

It must have been that unusual creature we call “the little bird that tells.”

It's strange how little boys ' mothers

Can find out all as they do,

If a fellow does anything naughty

Or says anything that's not true!

They'll look at you just for a moment,

Till your heart in your bosom swells,

And then they know all about it,

For a little birdie tells.

He is an odd little bird that! Nobody has ever seen the nest where he was born, or the egg out of which he was hatched. Nobody ever catches him. You may lay down nets and set snares, but he always eludes you. And yet he is always there, and he always tells. Provoking little bird!

Shall I tell you the favorite name of this little bird? I think it is “conscience,” a conscience that pricks. Isn't it that that often gives us away when we have done wrong, that tells in spite of us? Listen to this story.

Once upon a time there was an Indian prince who was immensely wealthy. One morning he discovered that a large portion of his treasure had been stolen overnight. So he called all his wise men together and commanded them to discover which of his servants had committed the crime.

Now that was a difficult task, for the royal staff was large and varied. Many suggestions were made by the sages, but none of them met with the king's approval.

At last the oldest of them all made a proposal. “Your majesty,” said he, “I have at home some magic sticks, and their magic consists in this if one of them is shut up overnight with a thief it grows two inches longer before morning. Let your servants be shut up for one night each in a separate cell and each with one of these sticks. In the morning you will easily discover the culprit.”

The prince did as he was advised, and next morning it was found that none of the sticks were longer, but one was two inches shorter. The wise man immediately pointed to the servant in whose keeping it had been and said, “That is the thief.”

The guilty servant fell down at the prince's feet, begging for mercy and confessing that it was indeed the case. Then he told how he had watched the stick all night, at first imagining, and then feeling quite certain, that it was growing longer. At last, his guilty fear got such a hold of him that he took out his knife and cut exactly two inches off the stick.

And that was just what the wise man had expected. There was nothing at all peculiar about the sticks, but he knew how conscience would work.

And, boys and girls, when we are trying to hide anything that is wrong it is often a look on our face or a strange way of acting that betrays us; and these are just the outward expression of a conscience that is pricking us and making us feel uncomfortable.

So after all the little bird that tells is a good little bird and a true friend. For when we grow so bold and brazen that the little bird no longer tells, it is a very bad sign indeed.

It is good to have a little bird that tells, and it is good to have a mother that can understand his messages. But it is best of all not to require the services of that little bird because all we do is straight and above-board.