Children

---

TESSIE AT THE TEMPLE




Tessie flapped her wings, and then stopped. Her feathers hit against the sides of the small basket she was caged in. “Why, oh why, did this happen?” She moaned.

She had gone searching for breakfast alone. Her family had warned her many times about wandering off by herself. Now she wished she had listened! But, she knew deep down that she hadn’t believed that she could be in any danger.

That had quickly changed when the net fell over her just as she had been enjoying her breakfast!

The man had put her in this tiny basket and tied the basket to his donkey. Tessie could hear other turtledoves crying out. She knew that she and the others had been captured by one of the “hunters”.
She remembered the stories and shivered in fear. Young birds being captured, sold, and then taken into the temple, never to be seen again! The word, sacrifice, was spoken in hushed tones. She didn’t know exactly what it meant, but in her heart she knew it wasn’t good news for her and the others.

She felt the basket bounce about as the donkey began to travel towards the city. Clop. Clop. Clop. This was mingled with the frightened chattering of the birds.

The hunter laughed as he spoke to the donkey, “Come on, you lazy beast. We’ve done well this morning. Now we must hurry in order to be at the temple in time!”

Tessie drew up as tiny as she could and held on to the ribs of the basket with all her strength. She tried not to think about all the stories that she had heard.

The bumping and banging finally stopped. Tessie heard voices arguing over a sum of money. Finally the shouting stopped and Tessie gasped as she felt the basket move again.

Peering through the slit in the basket she saw a dozen or so baskets stacked on the table where she was. Twittering began as they questioned one another.

“What’s happening?”

“Where are we now?”

“What’s going to become of us?”

No one seemed to know the answers, or if they did they were afraid to say anything!

Tessie’s basket was at the back of the table. She watched as people offered coins to the men at the table. She heard the frightened cries of the birds as the new owner headed toward the temple door. “Help! Help! Oh please let me go!”
Tessie put her wings over her head. She didn’t want to see or hear any more. She had seen several of the people leave the temple; bringing empty baskets back to the men at the table. She sat quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Suddenly a new noise filled the air! The cracking of a whip! The sound of people running and yelling. Crashing sounds and clanging sounds as tables were overturned and coins cascaded to the stone floor!

One voice rose above the noise, “…My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”(Matt. 21:13 KJV)

Tessie peeked out. She couldn’t figure out what was happening. She saw the men at the table running away! Her heart pounded in her tiny breast. What had happened?

Suddenly she felt the basket being lifted. The voice spoke again, only soft and gentle now, “Here little one, don’t be afraid. You are safe.” Kind hands grasped Tessie and lifted her out of the basket. A finger tenderly stroked her soft white head. A peace like she had never experienced came over her.

“No sacrifice today, tiny one. Go home!” Gentle hands lifted her skyward.

She flapped her wings and then paused for a second. She gazed once more into the face of the newcomer. “He’s nothing like the “hunter” she thought.

He smiled.

She flapped her wings and flew toward home.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE