A Story for My Daughter

There was once a pillow case. It was bright and flowery and was a favourite to its owners. The favouritism was mutual. But for the pillow case, it had no other material things to choose from to be its favourite, except its owners.

One day, after being washed and while being dried under the sun, a sudden gush of wind blew it off from the clothes hanger. It flew onto a street in front of its owner's house. A car came by and ran it over. The pillow case had tyre marks all over it now. The pillow case became sad now that it wasn't bright nor flowery anymore. A big truck rushed by and blew the pillow case farther away from the house. It landed in a bush. The pillow case was getting sadder by the moment. It got stuck on a prickly bush. A continuous gush of wind started to blow and the pillow case was torn as it left its thorny resting place.

"I'm for sure will be alone forever like an unwanted rubbish", thought the pillow case. "I've lost my owners, I'm dirty and I'm torn. I'll just be a useless piece of cloth."

Now, torn and dirty, the pillow case was strewn on a field. It was wallowing in its predicament when suddenly, it was picked up. A black, evil-looking crow had the pillow case in its strong beak.

"Ah! Now I'm very sure I'll be frayed by this horrendous beast and be left in tatters!" cried the pillow case. The black crow flew higher and higher and farther and farther from the pillow case's house.

Upon reaching a baobab, the black crow stopped and laid the pillow case gently into its nest. The black crow laid the pillow case to cover its nest as a mother put her child to bed. The pillow case was taken aback. Never had it felt such tenderness other than when its owners smoothen it after stuffing it with a pillow. Never had the pillow case known that such tenderness can be shewn by other beings other than mankind. Once the pillow case was laid, the black crow began resting in its nest to start laying its eggs. The warmth of the black crow made the pillow case felt satiated after the adventure of the day.

After some weeks, and with the warmth provided by the pillow case, the eggs started to hatch. The pillow case was in awe in having a hand in such amazing natural process. The pillow case had never felt so appreciated in its entire life at that moment. The pillow case had totally forgotten its owners, the comfortable closet that it was kept when not in use, the big beautiful house and the care given by its owners. Never had it felt such feelings. From that day onwards, the pillow case understood that it was not how it looked, what colour, what pattern and design that mattered. What mattered was how it was being used in whatever form or shape. What mattered was its usefulness to other people.