Holding the worm in its beak, the goldfinch flew up to its nest, but there were no chicks inside. While he was hunting, the attackers stole them.
Screaming and crying, the goldfinch began to look for the missing chicks. The whole forest resounded with his plaintive moans and calls, but no answer came.
The next morning, the unfortunate parent met a finch, who told him that only yesterday he had seen goldfinches in a peasant house. Beside himself with joy, the goldfinch flew at full speed towards the village and soon found himself at the house that the kind finch pointed to. The goldfinch sat on the ridge of the roof, looked around, but saw no one. He flew to the threshing floor - and there wasn’t a soul there. When the poor father raised his head up, he noticed a cage hanging outside the window. His goldfinches captives were sitting in it. The goldfinch rushed towards them.
Seeing their father, the chicks began to chirp pitifully in chorus, begging him to quickly rescue them from captivity. Using its paws and beak, the goldfinch made desperate efforts to push apart the iron bars of the cage. But all his efforts were in vain. Then, crying loudly, he flew away.
The next day, the goldfinch, distraught with grief, reappeared at the cage where the unfortunate goldfinches were languishing. He looked at them with tenderness for a long time, and then quietly pecked each chick into his gaping mouth.
The parent brought poisonous grass in his beak, and all the goldfinches stretched out their paws at once.
“It’s better to die than to suffer in captivity,” the proud goldfinch said sadly and flew off into the forest.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru