One day in early autumn, a blue jay was flying past a house. As the blue jay flew by, he saw a lovely chimney and he decided to stop and talk to it. “I was just flying past when I noticed what a lovely chimney you are. Your bricks are so red and you stand so tall and proud above all the other chimneys around.” The chimney was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to chimneys. After a moment’s thought the chimney replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it’s the roof that supports me so I may stand so tall, and it was the bricklayer who made me who picked my bricks so red.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that chimneys do not talk to blue jays but decided to go talk to the roof instead. “I was just talking to the chimney when I noticed what a lovely roof you are. Your shingles are so straight and you protect all that is beneath you.” The roof was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to roofs. After a moment’s thought, the roof replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it is the walls that support me and the roof builder that laid my shingles so straight.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that roofs do not talk to blue jays but decided to go talk to the wall instead. “I was just talking to the roof when I noticed what a lovely wall you are. You stand so upright and must be so strong to uphold all that is above you.” The wall was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to walls. After a moment’s thought, the wall replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it is the foundation I stand upon and the construction worker who made me so strong.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that walls do not talk to blue jays but decided to go talk to the foundation instead. “I was just talking to the wall when I noticed what a lovely foundation you are. Your cement is so thick and your sides are so flat.” The foundation was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that blue jays do not talk to foundations. After a moment’s thought the foundation replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it is the earth upon which I sit and the one who poured me who made my cement so thick.” The blue jay was a little taken a back by this for everyone knows that foundations do not talk to blue jays but decided to go fly away instead. As the blue jay was flying, the sun stopped him and said, “I was just shining here when I noticed what a lovely blue jay you are. You go so quickly and fly so well.” The blue jay was rather surprised at this for everyone knows that the sun does not talk to blue jays. After a moment’s thought of thinking about what the chimney, roof, wall, and foundation had all said, the blue jay replied, “I thank you for the compliment but I must tell you that it’s the wind that pushed me along so quickly and the one who made me who gave me the gift of flying so well.”
365-09 #305