The Conference of the Birds

The Conference of the Birds is a picture book for children aged 7 to 12 that retells a classic parable about a flock of birds on a long journey to find their king.

The birds have had no king for a very long time. The hoopoe tells them that they do have one, the Simurgh, and leads them on a hard journey across forests, deserts and the ocean. On the way, each bird meets a test: the duck does not want to leave his pond, the parrot is weighed down by her jewels, the tiny finch is afraid of the storm, the partridge grows impatient and the hawk, wanting to arrive first, is lost in the mist. Each time, the hoopoe answers in verse, with the same refrain: do not let this destroy your golden chance.

When they reach the top of the mountain, there is no throne, only a lake. As the birds look at their own reflections, the hoopoe tells them that their king is no earthly bird but the King of the heavens, and that the heart is a mirror that must be clean of pride and sin to reflect His light.

The story is rich in ideas for older children: laziness, love of riches, fear, impatience and pride, and the faith, courage and humility that overcome them. Retold by Alexis York Lumbard and illustrated by Demi, with a foreword by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, it takes about eleven minutes to read aloud and is music-free.

A flock without a king

Late one moonless night, in a far corner of the world, a great flock of birds gathered in sorrow. For a very long time they had had no king: no king to uphold the law, no king to keep the peace, no king to share his wisdom.

A hush fell over the crowd as the hoopoe stepped forward, the bird with black-tipped feathers on her head and a sacred prayer written on her beak. "My feathered friends, do not despair," she said. "We have a king. I have seen his golden throne. He waits for you: our king, the Simurgh, the wise. With him you will find a love that is true, a love that never dies. The journey is long and hard, but you will never be the same."

The birds flapped their wings with joy. "Please, honourable Hoopoe," they begged, "take us to our king!"

The duck and the parrot

Just as they were about to leave, the duck hesitated. He did not care for long trips, he said. He was quite happy in his pond, and perhaps he would go another night. The hoopoe reminded him that tomorrow may never come, and asked whether his life in his small pond was really as merry as he said. "Do not let this laziness destroy this golden chance," she said. "Release its hold upon you now, and to your king advance!"

The duck stared at the clouds reflected in his still pond. Even the clouds seemed to move with purpose. What if the hoopoe was right? A chance to meet a loving, majestic king? "I have to go," he decided. "I must go now." So all the birds, the duck included, set off on their journey.

After some time, the parrot, weighed down by her heavy jewels, began to slow down, and soon she stopped altogether. "I cannot fly any more," she panted. "I'm far too tired." The hoopoe told her that if she put aside her chains of gold, her spirit would soar, and that nothing was as beautiful as the king's majesty. "Do not let rich attachments destroy this golden chance," she said.

"Is our king truly as beautiful as you say?" asked the parrot. The hoopoe nodded, and the parrot's eyes sparkled as never before. She tore off her jewels and threw them to the ground. "Then there is no time to waste," she cried. "Here I come, my king!" And she fluttered off like a lovestruck fledgling.

The finch in the storm

The flock reached a tall and ancient forest. A storm was brewing, and as the sky grew darker, the tiny finch trembled with fear. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I cannot go any farther. I'll never make it through the thunder and lightning."

The owl stared at the little finch and let out a cruel snicker. At once the hoopoe stepped forward. "No, do not laugh, do not condemn," she said. "When others fail or fall, there is a weakness to be found hidden inside us all." The owl said sorry to the finch.

Then the hoopoe smiled and wrapped her wing around him. Heaven would see him through the storm, she said: they all had the strength they needed, even little him. He must make a firm decision to conquer his fear by finding faith and courage. "Do not let your many doubts destroy this golden chance," she said.

In an explosion of courage, the finch hurled himself into the dark, menacing clouds. The wind tossed his tiny body from side to side, but still he kept going, and the others quickly followed.

The partridge and the hawk

The birds flew on for many days. They crossed strange and unknown valleys and scorching deserts, and at last they rested in a tree at the edge of a shore. Before them stretched an endless ocean, and somewhere in it was an island. On top of its one mountain lived King Simurgh.

"How much farther must we go?" complained the partridge. The hoopoe told him that those who learn to endure hardship with hope will have the strength for a thousand more miles, and that with every hardship the reward is greater. "Do not let this impatience destroy this golden chance," she said.

The partridge closed his eyes and said the king's name, "Simurgh, Simurgh, Simurgh," over and over again. When he opened his eyes, he saw ahead not the journey's length but the journey's end, and he flew on with the king always in his thoughts.

The water below sparkled like turquoise as they drew near the holy island. Then the hawk shot ahead into a thick band of mist. The mist grew heavier until it covered the sky in every direction, and he could no longer see the island. Was he going the right way? The faster he flew, the more desperate he became.

Then he stopped. He stopped panicking and struggling, and he let go of his wish to be the very first bird to meet the king. He turned to the heavens and wept. "Forgive me. I have made a terrible mistake. Without You I am lost."

Out of the mist came the hoopoe. "We all must learn to lose ourselves," she said. "You have passed the great and final test, and learned humility. You have cast away your foolish pride."

The lake on the mountain

Like curtains on a stage, the mist parted. With lowered heads and racing hearts, the birds finished their journey. At the top of the sacred mountain there was no throne and no king, only a simple lake surrounded by snow. One by one, the birds went to the water's edge and looked down at their own reflections.

Then the hoopoe gave her final speech. They had come expecting a king who was a bird, she said, but the king she had brought them to was not an earthly thing. He was the King of all the heavens and of everything below. Their hearts were like the lake, reflecting His light, but none of them could see the light of truth within unless the mirror of the heart was free of dust and sin.

At that, the clouds vanished and the sun lit up the lake. The birds could no longer see their own reflections: all was dazzling light. In that moment of silence, the birds found themselves in the loving embrace of God, their true King.