Tee and the Window Birds Could See

One morning, Tee heard a soft thump at the classroom window. A tiny sunbird had skimmed the glass and landed trembling on a branch. Tee noticed that the trees reflected in the window looked like open sky.

Tee tried placing one large bird shape in the middle of the pane, but birds still flew toward the wide empty spaces. His teacher asked, 'How can they see the whole window, not just one spot?'

Tee cut small colored paper dots and placed them on the outside of the glass, no farther apart than his palm. He left room to see the garden and carefully counted every row.

The next day, Tee watched with a picture chart. A sunbird approached, slowed its wings, and turned toward an ixora bush instead. There was no thump at all.

His classmates helped dot the other windows. The school could still see its lovely garden, and birds could see a safe path. Tee called them 'windows that say hello before a bird comes close.'