The Locksmith and The Bird's Cage🔊

A long time ago, in the industrial town of Woodbridge, lived a chivalrous and kind-hearted locksmith named Wilbur Willis. Wilbur was highly renowned throughout the town for two reasons. First, he was a meticulous craftsman who could open even the most stubborn locks without causing any damage. Second, and more importantly, he possessed an unfailing sense of justice, which made him more of a protector than a mere tradesman.

Wilbur lived by a simple philosophy – 'Locks are meant to protect, not imprison.' Perhaps this was an unusual thought for a locksmith, but it was precisely this philosophy that guided him to perform what is still remembered as the 'miracle of Woodbridge.'

It all started when Wilbur got an unusual request. Amelia, the young daughter of the town's reclusive aristocrat, Lord Huntington, wanted him to make a unique lock. Amelia was pretty but socially awkward. To avoid social interaction, she spent most of her time in her attic studio, engrossed in painting beautiful landscapes.

One day, Amelia observed a small caged bird longing for freedom while she was painting one of her landscapes. She had begun capturing the bird in her art but felt an overwhelming emotional connection to the bird. Seeing the bird's longing for freedom, Amelia decided to free it but was stopped by her overbearing father, who insisted that the bird was too frail and couldn't survive in the wild. Given this, Amelia wanted the bird's cage to have a lock that could be opened only from the inside, giving the bird the freedom to leave whenever it felt ready. This was surely a challenging task, but Wilbur was intrigued by the idea and took on the task.

Wilbur spent days painstakingly designing, amending, and perfecting the lock. Every tiny component was manipulated, every spring reset, until he carved a lock that could secure the cage but could also be opened from the inside by the bird itself. Once convinced the lock was perfect, he took it to Amelia, who installed it on the bird’s cage.

Days turned into weeks but the bird continued to stay in its cage, comfortably residing in its familiar surroundings. Meanwhile, Amelia's delicate health grew poorer, and the townsfolk were upset by the news. Even in the face of her quickly deteriorating health, Amelia kept her bird close and never once thought of unlocking the cage herself.

One day, as Wilbur visited Amelia, they saw the cage door was ajar. They quickly searched the vicinity, and there it was. The bird was just perched on a nearby tree branch, chirping melodiously. In its song, they heard a harmony of freedom, gratitude, and the reassurance of surviving in the world. A sense of fulfilment dawned upon them; the bird was free and ready to brave the world.

In the weeks that followed, Amelia’s health started to improve as the news of the bird’s independence travelled and inspired the entire town. They praised Wilbur’s ingenuity and Amelia’s perseverance. The story of the bird and the lock became a symbol of hope and freedom for the people of Woodbridge. And above all, Wilbur’s belief that 'Locks are meant to protect, not imprison' was emboldened, making him an enduring legend throughout the town.