I Am Serious

There once was a farmer who planted fresh fields of wheat. He cared for the wheat and ensured that it received adequate amounts of water, sun, and nourishment. His livelihood depended on this crop of wheat.

One morning, the farmer awoke to the sound of birds in his field. He ran outside and saw his wheat field covered with birds. In a panic, he ran outside and began flapping his arms and made loud sounds. He hoped that this would scare the birds away. His plan worked. The birds flew away in a flurry, and the farmer went back about his work.

Early the next morning, the farmer was again awakened to the sound of birds. He followed the same procedure and scared the birds by making loud noises and flapping his arms. It worked again. The birds flew away and left his wheat alone.

The birds began to realize that they were never in any real danger. They realized the farmer walked around waving at them and making sounds. The birds got braver and braver.

On the third morning, the farmer heard the birds again and realized that he needed to be more severe. He grabbed his dog’s collar and headed outside. The birds did not even move. They knew he would try to scare them and so they weren’t too worried. The farmer let his dog loose and the dog chased the birds. This frightened the birds and they flew away, never to be seen again.