Let’s Go Find the Bird’s Egg!

Long ago, in a quiet country village, there lived a farming couple. The husband was a man who knew how to be grateful even for small things. From dawn until sunset, the hard work of farming never ceased, yet instead of complaining, he silently wiped his sweat and carried on. His wife, however, was different. In her heart, she always noticed what was lacking first, and complaints often followed at the end of her words.

One night, the husband had a strange dream. In the dream, an old man with a white beard appeared and said: “If you go about 2.5 miles to the east, you will find the largest tree, standing as if it has stretched both arms wide toward the sky. In the middle of that tree, there is a small hole. Put your hand inside and take out what is there. It will bring you and your family a very special gift for a lifetime.”

When morning came, the husband told his wife about the dream. Unexpectedly, her face brightened. “That sounds like a wonderful dream. I need to take the fruit I picked yesterday to the market anyway, so let’s see if we can find that tree on the way.”

All the way to the marketplace, the couple searched for a tree stretching both arms toward the east. But no matter how much they looked around, they could not find such a tree. The husband said quietly, sounding disappointed: “My dear, it must have just been a meaningless dream. Where would we ever find something special that lasts a lifetime?”

Just then, the wife suddenly cried out. “Look over there! That tree really does look like it’s stretching both arms toward the sky!”

Filled with excitement and anticipation, the two ran to the tree. Strangely enough, just as in the dream, there was a small hole in the middle of the trunk. The husband lifted his wife onto his back and said, “I’ll hold you up. Put your hand inside and see what’s there.” She carefully reached in and felt around. Soon, her fingertips touched something round and warm. She pulled it out—two small bird eggs.

“Is this all?” she said, unable to hide her disappointment. “How can two bird eggs be a special gift? Since we’ve taken them out anyway, let’s crack them and eat them.”

The husband quietly shook his head. “My dear, we should put them back. If the mother bird returns to brood them, how sad she would be.”

At that very moment, one of the eggs cracked open by itself, and a baby bird poked its head out. Astonishingly, it spoke in a clear voice: “Take the other egg home with you. When the two of you truly understand what your deepest wish is, then break the egg. But remember, you will have only one chance.” The couple stood speechless for a while.

After returning home, they talked every day about their wish. The humble husband said that if he had just one cow, he could work even harder. But the wife’s heart was complicated. A big house, vast land, barns full of livestock, a jar endlessly filling with money… The fact that they could choose only one wish made the decision even more difficult.

In the end, they carefully wrapped the egg and placed it deep inside their wardrobe. They had not yet decided on their wish, but simply knowing that there was “hope to be fulfilled someday” inside the closet gave them comfort.

Around that time, a strange change began to take place. Gradually, complaints disappeared from the wife’s lips. As she came to believe that she could have what she truly wanted at any time, the tight grip of her greed slowly loosened. The couple grew brighter and kinder to one another. They worked with much more joy than before.

And amazingly, their lives began to change little by little. They bought land, then rice paddies, then a cow. Before long, they were able to purchase a large house and lived a prosperous and peaceful life with their children.

One day, the husband said to his wife: “My dear, we have always lived believing that the bird’s egg would grant our wish. Because of that belief, we carried hope in our hearts and worked joyfully. And in doing so, we received everything we wanted without ever breaking the egg. The egg did not grant just one wish—it granted them all.”

These days, we hear more discouraging news than hopeful ones. Many people tremble in fear because of anti-immigration policies, and sudden layoffs threaten livelihoods. Uncertainty about how long these times will last, along with rising prices, has caused people to close their wallets.

Economic downturns. Shops closing their doors. Unpredictable climate disasters. The suffering caused by endless wars. There are many days when simply enduring feels frightening.

At such times, we ask ourselves: “Do we, too, have a bird’s egg that will grant our wish?”

If we look around, we notice that some people seem to thrive even while doing the same work as others. They are usually bright, humorous, and optimistic. Even in difficult situations, they say, “It will work out.” When we are with such people, we strangely gain strength and begin to see possibility.

On the other hand, there are those for whom things always seem to go wrong. Their faces are filled with dissatisfaction, and the words “It won’t work” trail at the end of every sentence. Being around them leaves us feeling tight-hearted and anxious.

What is the difference between the two? It is not ability, but belief—the belief that things will work out, or the belief that they will not.

When young children lean backward in their parents’ arms as they play, there is only one reason: they trust they will not fall. Faith is the same. Even when we cannot see it, even when it has not yet come to pass, we trust that what we need will be provided at the right time. That faith closely resembles the farming couple’s trust in the bird’s egg resting inside their closet.

So how can we have such faith? The answer is surprisingly simple: decide in your heart that “it will work out,” and do not pull distant worries into the present.

People act in the direction of what they believe. Belief shapes life, and attitude creates the path. If we continually till the field of our hearts to keep it soft, then whatever rain may fall will eventually soak in and turn it into a green field.

Even if we cannot see it, let us search for the “bird’s egg” that already exists within us.

Each day, at every moment, may we engrave in our hearts the words of First Epistle to the Thessalonians 5:16–18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.”

May this March be a month in which we live with gratitude and joy.