Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)

[guppiecat]

Swallow attempting to teach a young camel to fly.

The camel is having some difficulty grasping the core concepts.

Comments

[maiac.livejournal.com]

The trick to flying is to hurl yourself at the ground and miss. The camel has a good grasp of "hurling", but "missing" is elusive thus far.

[guppiecat]

That's why the water's there. In case you fail to miss, it softens the blow.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

The camel, however, knows that water is for drinking, and is confused by the idea of falling into it.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I admire the swallow's resolve. Not everyone would put the time and effort in.

[guppiecat]

Swallows are known for their patience.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I've loved that story for a long time... Always will. :)

[guppiecat]

You must like humans more than I do. The story always made me sad and angry because the swallow died.

I also don't buy the "everyone's happy in heaven" argument.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

Oscar Wilde was an atheist for most of his life, but feared religion in the way that people who are raised religious do and made a deathbed conversion.

It's not a story about heaven. It's a story about doing what you can to be helpful and the inherent value of kindness, and a story about that most people don't see kindness as worthwhile. He didn't write lots of happy endings.