There was once a lonely girl who longed so much for love. One day while she was walking in the woods she found two starving songbirds.

女孩儿把它们带回了家，放在了一个小笼子里。小女孩倾注了很多的爱照料它们，鸟儿一天天地

She took them home and put them in a small cage. She cared them with love and the birds grew strong.

从前，有个孤单的女孩十分期待爱。有一天，在丛林里散步的时候，她发现了两只饿得奄奄一息的小鸟。

Every morning they greeted her with a wonderful song. The girl felt great love for the birds.

好起来。每天清晨，鸟儿们都会用美妙的歌声问候小女孩。女孩情不自禁地爱上这两只鸟儿。

One day the girl left the door to the cage open. The larger and stronger of the two birds flew from the cage.

一天，小女孩打开了鸟笼。那只较大的鸟儿便飞了出来。女孩儿十分担心鸟儿会飞走。

The girl was so frightened that he would fly away. As he flew close, she grasped him wildly. Her heart felt glad at her success in capturing him.

当鸟儿飞过来时，小女孩便紧紧地把它抓在手中。捉到鸟儿后，女孩感到非常高兴。

Suddenly she felt the bird go limp. She opened her hand and stared in horror at the dead bird. Her desperate love had killed him.

突然间，她觉得手中的鸟儿渐渐没了气力。她赶紧松开紧握的双手，并惊恐地看着已死去的鸟儿。女孩意识到是自己不顾一切的爱害死了它。

She noticed the other bird moving back and forth on the edge of the cage.

刚好在这时，另一只鸟儿在笼子里正用力地扇着翅膀。

She could feel his great need for freedom. He needed to soar into the clear, blue sky.

女孩深切地体会到它对自由的无限向往——它希望在蓝蓝的天空中自由飞翔。

She lifted him from the cage and tossed him softly into the air. The bird circled once, twice, three times.

女孩把鸟儿从笼中拿了出来，并用双手将鸟儿托起，轻轻地抛向空中。鸟儿在空中盘旋着，一圈，两圈，三圈……

The girl watched delightedly at the bird's enjoyment. Her heart was no longer concerned with her loss.

女孩看着鸟儿快乐的样子感到高兴极了。她已经没有时间去在意失去的东西，只是祝愿鸟儿能够幸福。

She wanted the bird to be happy. Suddenly the bird flew closer and landed softly on her shoulder. It sang the sweetest melody that she had ever heard.

突然间，鸟儿飞了过来，轻轻地落在她的肩上。鸟儿唱起了女孩所听过的最动听的歌。

寓意：

真爱难求。如果你费尽心思地想掌控爱，最终你会发现越是想抓牢它，反而越容易失去自我，失去原则，失去彼此间的宽容和谅解，爱也会变得支离破碎。就像当你握紧拳头时，感觉好像抓住了很多，其实，连空气都没有抓到;相反，当你张开怀抱，虽然感觉双手空空，但其实世界都在你的心中。