The Little Paper Airplane

Once there was a little paper airplane who wanted to fly away. He would sit on his little square desk and look out his little square window all day, gazing out at the world and dreaming wonderful dreams. 

He would watch butterflies flitter past on bright gentle wings, and long for the freedom to spread his own as they did. He would watch willow leafs dancing in the wind, and wish for nothing more than to join in and twirl along side them. He would watch birds soaring past, and think how wonderful it would be to have sleek feathers like theirs.

Day after day he sat, staring from his square little desk out his square little window, longing to be a part of it all. So one afternoon, tired of his wistful dreams, the little paper airplane picked himself up, gave himself a throw, and found himself in the open air. Immediately a beautiful butterfly darted past him. Overjoyed at the sight, the paper airplane strained and stretched his crisp little wings. He flapped and floundered clumsily in the wake of the graceful creature, striving to mimic it’s every move. The butterfly turned around and pridefully declared “ What are you doing? Your little wings will never move about like mine, you’ll never be beautiful or colorful as I. Go find something else less pretty to try”. 

Crushed, the little airplanes wings drooped, and slowly he dropped, until his pointed nose brushed against a willow branch. The slim leaves were dancing gaily with the wind, flowing this way and that like a rhythm game. The paper airplane quickly took heart, and began darting about, following as best he could the lead of the wind. But before long he had stepped on the wind’s dancing feet, and his stiff wings had crumpled the willow’s pretty dress. “Go away and leave us” they said all together “your dancing’s no good and you’re being a bother”. 


Dejected, the little airplane folded his wings, and left the breeze to dance with the branches. Away he flew, a little this way, a little that, wandering tired and aimless through the sun streaked sky. Rather soon he caught sight of a cheerful bluejay rummaging around for dinner in the heather. Down he spiraled, gazing with admiration at the sleek shiny feathers. Suddenly the bird took off, carrying her prize, and beat her strong wings to carry her home. The little paper airplane moved his bits of paper up and down, beating his wings in as bird-like a manner as he possibly knew how. Up, up he rose, and catching up to the bird, said a bashful hello. She fixed him with one dark beady eye and thought to herself that perhaps, just perhaps, he would make a tastier dinner than the one she already had. So she dropped her little worm, reached out a talon, and grasped the poor little paper airplane. “You’ll make a nice snack for my chicklets three, and you’re big enough there’ll be some for me!” she sang as she flew. The paper airplane didn’t like the sound of that at all. So, his little heart beating fast all the way up in his throat, he reached up his pointed nose and gave the bird as sharp a jab as paper can give. Surprised, she released her hold and watched as the disheveled paper airplane spread his crumpled and ragged wings and tottered home.



The little paper airplane returned from his adventure that evening and perched in his old familiar place. He looked at the square little desk and the square little window, his stiff little wings and his sharp little nose, and realized that he was quite happy to be what he was- a small, rather crumpled, but somehow very content, paper airplane. He now no longer wanted to stretch wings like the prideful butterfly, or dance with the vain willow, or have sleek feathers like the greedy bird. 

The next morning came, the paper airplane woke up, sat on the square little desk, and looked out of the square little window. He watched the butterfly flit past, and the wind dance with the willow, and the bird spiral down in search of good healthy breakfast. And then he picked himself up, gave himself a throw, and, thinking how nice it was to be a paper airplane, went flying away.