♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ - [Narrator] "Eudora's Fable: The Shoe Bird," based on the only children's story by Pulitzer Prize winner Eudora Welty.

This musical fable by composer Samuel Jones introduces the instruments of the orchestra as Arturo, the parrot gathers his feathered friends at his home in the shoe store.

Emmy Award-winning conductor and Palm Beach Symphony Music Director, Gerard Schwartz, is joined by Narrator, Charlie Adler amid engaging projections by Ed McGowen.

- [Announcer] This program is brought to you in part by Paul and Sandra Goldner.

- Hello, I'm Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of the Palm Beach Symphony.

Today we're gonna present to you "The Shoe Bird," by Samuel Jones.

It's a fantastic story that actually begins with the Children's book by Eudora Welty.

The main character Arturo, the parrot, is represented by the English horn.

The crow is represented by a clarinet, but not just a regular clarinet, just the mouthpiece to make the sound of a crow.

The extinct bird, the dodo, is represented properly by the contrabassoon.

Freddy, the cat is represented by the bass clarinet.

The perfect Gloria, the goose is the alto saxophone.

The piccolo, Mickey, the mockingbird.

The song of the Sparrow is represented by the regular flute, the one we always see, but we have another flute, the alto flute.

And this deep tone flute is Minerva the owl, the wise owl played by the big alto flute.

The Robin is the oboe, and Mr. Ostrich is played by the bassoon.

- There once was a certain parrot named Arturo.

(mid-tempo orchestral music) (mid-tempo orchestral music) (mid-tempo orchestral music) Arturo, the parrot worked in a shoe store.

One day, a little boy and his mother came to the store to buy a pair of shoes.

He was irritated.

He wanted to be home playing with his collection of trading cards.

When they left the store, he yelled sarcastically.

"Shoes are for the birds."

(scoffs) And Arturo, the parrot thought, "Ah, this is very interesting, shoes are for the birds."

(chuckles) "That's, us!"

"Oh, I must repeat this to all my friends.

"Oh, but yet if I just tell Gloria, the goose, "she'll tell everybody!

"Shoes are for the birds."

(orchestral music) ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds, tell everybody ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on.

♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, tell everybody.

♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ - And pass it on is exactly what she did.

And before you could blink a bird's eye, Gloria, the goose's message had gone out to all birds everywhere.

And here is what that message said.

(somber orchestral music) ♪ On the serious meeting of forte importance ♪ ♪ To all the birds of the air ♪ ♪ Will be held at the shoe store ♪ ♪ Where Arturo, the parrot ♪ ♪ Sells children's shoes by the bale ♪ ♪ This meeting is due to begin on sundown ♪ ♪ And it mustn't catch you unaware ♪ ♪ This is a serious meeting of forte importance ♪ ♪ To all the birds of the air ♪ ♪ To all the birds of the air ♪ - All the birds of the air, every species chose one of its kind to send to this mysterious meeting of the birds.

From every direction, from all corners of the earth the sky began to fill with birds.

(mid-tempo orchestral music) There were birds of all kinds.

(mid-tempo orchestral music) There were birds of all sizes and birds of all shapes.

(fast orchestral music) There were black birds, red birds, bluebird, and jays and birds of all different colors.

(upbeat orchestral music) Then one by one, they began to fly through an open window into the office of the shoe store where Arturo was finishing up his work for the day.

First came the robin.

(upbeat orchestral music) Then came the crow.

(upbeat clarinet music) Mr Personality.

Then came an owl.

(slow flute music) She took a seat on a coat rack, (slow flute music) and there was a seagull on the water cooler (fast upbeat music) a woodpecker on the computer, (fast upbeat music) and a secretary bird seated at the desk.

(mid-tempo music) 36 different kinds of sparrows lined up on the bookshelf.

(fast upbeat music) A pigeon flew to the old-fashioned desk and squeezed into a pigeon hole.

(fast upbeat music) And all the birds found themselves places to perch.

(mid-tempo music) Around and around the room were rows and rows of birds like balcony upon balcony at the Symphony Hall.

(dramatic music) And finally with a proud flourish, in flew Gloria, the goose.

(mid-tempo music) (mid-tempo music) "Well, Arturo," she said.

"Here we are, all the birds of the air.

"Now it's up to you to give us what we came for."

"What," spurted Arturo.

"W-W-What we came for!

"What do you mean, it's up to me "to give a you what you came for?"

"Well (chuckles), I took you at your word," she replied.

"Remember what you said?

(saxophone plays) "Shoes are for the birds..." (fast upbeat music) ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds, tell everybody ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Shoes are for the birds ♪ ♪ Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on, pass it on ♪ - "So it's up to you to make good on your promise."

At that point, slowly and with great dignity, Minerva, the owl edged herself forward.

(mid-tempo music) "Arturo," she said, "Everybody is extremely curious "about this mysterious meeting.

"Why, lots of birds don't even know what shoes are.

"That I do, of course, "since I'm a wise old owl "and everybody knows, we owls know everything.

"But if shoes are for the birds, "we want to know what they are."

"Yes," all the birds cried, "We want to know, who can tell us all about shoes?"

(upbeat music) ♪ Who can tell us?

♪ ♪ Who, who, who can tell us ♪ ♪ Just what is a shoe ♪ ♪ Who can tell us ♪ ♪ Who, who ♪ ♪ How can a bird don in a shoe ♪ ♪ Who can tell us ♪ ♪ Who, who ♪ ♪ Oh who, who ♪ ♪ Oh who, who ♪ ♪ Who can tell us ♪ ♪ Who, who ♪ ♪ Who, who ♪ ♪ Who ♪ ♪ Can you ♪ - Arturo answered, "Well, of course I can tell you all about the shoes.

"Yeah."

(upbeat music) But before he could say another word, Mickey, the mockingbird jumped off his perch and flew around, flitting his wings for emphasis.

(light upbeat music) He mocked them all saying, "Shoes for a bird?

(light flute music) "That's absurd."

(light flute music) ♪ Shoes for a bird, that's absurd ♪ ♪ Whoever heard of shoes for a bird ♪ ♪ Shoes for a bird ♪ ♪ Why ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Shoes for a bird ♪ ♪ Whoever heard ♪ ♪ Shoes for a bird, it's totally absurd ♪ (upbeat instrumental music) - "It's not as absurd as you think," replied Arturo.

"The parrot is right," seconded Minerva the owl.

"Shoes are for wearing, people wear them all the time.

"Here, let me show you how."

And she took a pair and put them on her ears.

But most of you, since you don't have ears.

will have to wear your shoes like people do, on your feet.

"H-H-Hold it, hold it," honked Gloria, the goose.

"Let me help.

"Where are those shoes anyway?"

"But don't you see them?," asked Arturo.

"There're all stacked up in the shelves.

"Shoes come in boxes, you silly goose."

"B-B-But I'm not silly, thank you," Gloria snapped back.

"No, no," said Minerva, "We'll never get everyone fitted in shoes tonight "if you two keep that up."

"Gloria, why don't you get down the shoe boxes "while Arturo gets busy fitting everybody?"

So Gloria, the goose, waddled over to the ladder.

(mid-tempo music) Then she climbed it laboriously step by step to reach the first pair of shoes.

(mid-tempo music) With her beak, she started pulling out the first box she saw.

She didn't realize that all the other boxes were stacked up on top of it.

She pulled and pulled.

(fast upbeat music) She tugged and tugged.

(fast upbeat music) And finally when she began to get it loose, (fast upbeat music) Surprise!

(suspenseful music) Down, tumbled every shoebox in the store.

(drum rolls) The jays and crows all shrieked in excitement.

(fast upbeat music) ♪ Come, come and you see what you've done.

♪ ♪ Jay, jay see what you've done ♪ ♪ Go, go, Jay go, Jay go, Jay go ♪ ♪ Now see what you've done, now see what you've done ♪ ♪ You spoiled a bird, you spoiled a bird ♪ ♪ Before its even begun ♪ ♪ Come, come ♪ ♪ Jay, Jay ♪ ♪ Come, come, Jay, come ♪ ♪ Jay, come, Jay, come ♪ - But Arturo shouted over the noise.

(upbeat instrumental music) "Please.

Mr. Blue Jay "Please, Mr. Gray Jay, please.

"And all you crows and the jays, "please stop flying around.

(gentle horn music) "Just take your seats "and before you know it, "we'll have a pair of shoes for everybody.

"Now, who will be first, huh?

"Oh, good, one of the sparrows.

"Gloria, will you hand me a pair of shoes "for the song sparrow, please?"

The song sparrow was so delighted to be the first, she broke into her beautiful song.

(horn blowing) (horn blowing) - But Gloria brought out a huge rain boot which was way too big for a sparrow.

When Arturo tried to fit the sparrow's foot into the rain boot, what happened to the sparrow?

It went down into the boot and out of sight.

(horns blowing ) So Arturo tried again by adding another sparrow the same thing happened (horns blowing ) Then one sparrow more and the boot swallowed it up just like the others.

(gentle violin music) Then one sparrow more and the boot swallow it up just like the others (horns blowing ) Now you're just throwing good sparrow after bad talked to the Mickey, the mockingbird.

But Arturo stayed calm and kept adding sparrows until all the whole flock of 36 was in the boot.

Oh, you could hear lots of sparrow chirps, (upbeat orchestral music) but you couldn't see a single sparrow.

Reluctantly, Arturo called down to them.

"Come out here you little sparrows, "we have to fix you light "with something a little small.

(horn blowing) "Maybe we'll have a better luck with a bigger bird, "how about you, Mr.

Ostrich?"

And the ostrich slowly and solemnly came forward.

(down-tempo bassoon music) This time Gloria decided to try something smaller and she brought out a pair of hiking shoes.

When the ostrich put out his big foot, it covered the shoe entirely and the shoe disappeared.

(down-tempo bassoon music) "But your feet are the wrong size too," explained the goose.

Oh, she was trying hard, but she found it harder to find a foot to fit a shoe than to find a shoe to fit a foot.

Especially, of course, a bird's feet.

"Oh, nobody fits," she said at last.

(sobbing) "Oh, dear me."

(upbeat instrumental music) ♪ Nobody fits ♪ ♪ Nobody fits ♪ ♪ The shoe's too big but the foot's too small ♪ ♪ The foot's too big and the foot's too tall ♪ ♪ Nobody fits ♪ ♪ Nobody fits ♪ ♪ The little foot birds never will stay put ♪ ♪ The shoe's too tight for the big bird's foot ♪ ♪ Nobody fits ♪ ♪ Nobody fits ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ - "I have an idea," said Arturo.

"Let's have a sale!"

"Oh yes, let's have a sail," exclaimed the goldfinch.

"Oh, I love to sail through the air."

And he immediately started flying around the room singing to the top of his little lungs.

♪ Pachikarie, pachikarie ♪ (upbeat instrumental music) "Oh, that's lovely Mr. Goldfinch, said Arturo.

"But this is not the kind of a sale I had in the mind.

"See, every time we have a sale in the shoe store, "we reduce the price of the shoes, eh?

"But you see here in my dictionary, eh "one of the meanings of reduce is to make something smaller.

"I don't see why we can't use this meaning "to make the shoes themselves smaller, "that way, they ought to fit in a small bird's feet."

And sure enough, it worked.

The very next pair of shoes Arturo tried fit perfectly.

(upbeat instrumental music) "Arturo, but you'd be so clever," asked Gloria.

"Boy, I'm not really clever," answered the parrot.

"I may have a birds of brain, "but I try to make the most of the brains I have."

And with that, both Arturo and Gloria went to work fitting all the birds with specially sized shoes.

(upbeat instrumental music) "There, we're all finished," said Arturo.

"Not quite," replied Gloria.

"Here's a pair for you and now for me," said Gloria, as she reached for a pair of beautiful golden dancing shoes with diamonds on the toe.

"I get the grand prize.

"And since I thought up this whole party, (chuckling) "I get the golden slippers," she said.

"Oh, big surprise," said Mickey, the mockingbird sarcastically.

"Gloria that gives gets the prize."

♪ Surprise, surprise ♪ ♪ Gloria that gives gets the prize ♪ ♪ Surprise, surprise ♪ ♪ Gloria just happens to be there inside ♪ ♪ Surprise, surprise ♪ ♪ The princess no longer shall ostracize ♪ ♪ Surprise, surprise ♪ ♪ I do suppose everyone knows ♪ ♪ Gloria chanced herself to get the prize ♪ ♪ Surprise ♪ ♪ Surprise ♪ ♪ Su-surprise ♪ - "No, no," chided Minerva, the owl.

"I think we should let her have the golden slippers "as our way of saying thank you for these wonderful shoes."

"What?"

spurted Arturo again.

"These are shoes are no gift.

"This is a shoe store, "you have to pay for them."

"Well, (giggling) I'll pay for them," said Gloria, the goose.

And right then and there she laid a big golden egg.

"Oh, (sighing) "well, that much gold ought to pay for every shoe "in the store," she stated proudly.

And they all agreed, it was the most beautiful egg they had ever seen.

(down-tempo woodwind music) "Hey, now that we all have Shoezanne, "what do we do next?"

asked the cardinal.

"We have to break them in," said Arturo.

"By walking, just line up behind me "and we'll parade around the store, "we'll break in a shoes with a grand promenade."

(upbeat Instrumental music) "Wait," chirped the robin.

"I can't walk, I'm a hopper."

"Oh, he's perfectly all right," replied Arturo reassuringly.

"Just to be sure you don't hop "right under those beautiful new shoes."

(upbeat instrumental music) Then all the birds joined the parade, hopping along awkwardly taking care not to lose their new shoes.

(upbeat instrumental music) (upbeat instrumental music) (down-tempo woodwind music) "Look," said Gloria.

"Outside the window!"

(down-tempo instrumental music) "Whoa, would you look at that!"

Exclaimed Minerva, the owl.

"We have a most unusual visitor.

"She's come all the way from the land of nowhere.

"It's the dodo."

(down-tempo oboe music) Madam Dodo approached the group and whispered, "Is this a mysterious convocation of the birds?"

"Well, it's turned into a shoe party, I think," said Minerva, "But yes it is."

Arturo said with a bow, "Oh, Madam Dodo, "it is a great honor to welcome you to the shoe store.

"But how did you get here?

"We thought you are extinct."

"What?

"Does she stink?"

asked Gloria, the goose.

"No, silly, she's extinct," Arturo answered sharply.

"That means they're all dead.

"There are no more dodos in the world."

"But she's not dead, she's here," said Gloria.

"Yes, I'm here," said the dodo.

"But it's just my spirit that has returned.

"It is true," she said sadly.

"I am extinct."

(somber oboe music) "But how'd you get extinct?"

asked Blue Jay.

And Madam Dodo answered, "First my curiosity went, then my wings, "and after a while, I had nothing to live for."

"Then why have you come back?"

asked the Jay.

"When I heard that all the birds "would be gathered together in one place, "I had to come see my friends once more.

"I came for love, "and to find out if I'm still remembered."

(melancholic instrumental music) (indistinct singing) (indistinct singing) (melancholic instrumental music) (indistinct singing) (indistinct singing) (melancholic instrumental music) (indistinct singing) (indistinct singing) ♪ Our memories alone ♪ ♪ Memory alone ♪ ♪ Memory alone ♪ ♪ Alone ♪ - "We'll remember you Madam Dodo "and we love you," called the birds in the chorus.

"I'll remember that," the dodo said.

"Now I must be going, goodbye."

"Wait!"

They all cried.

"Like before?"

She asked.

And Minerva, the owl answered, "Wait, because anything may happen next "in this strange and marvelous world, "there'll always be something to happen next."

"That's the future," the dodo pointed out.

"When you are extinct, you don't think about the future, "but you do think good and hard about what lasts.

"Will you remember the two things stronger than extinction?"

"Oh, yes," they cried, and they sang the song in their best birds voices.

(indistinct singing) (indistinct singing) And before you knew it, the dodo dissolved into a wisp of smoke and floated out the window like a leaf on the wind.

(suspenseful instrumental music) The Robin stood looking up at the window where the dodo had disappeared.

He thought... ♪ We all came in that window ♪ ♪ But now it seems so hard ♪ ♪ The shoes are great for walking ♪ ♪ But they sure make it hard to fly ♪ - And he flapped extra hard to see if he could get off the ground, but the shoes kept him firmly in place.

"Oh my," he said breathlessly.

"How will we ever get outta here?"

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Robin," said Arturo.

"You can go out the door marked Freddy."

"What's Freddy?"

Asked the robin.

"Oh, the question is, who's Freddy, eh?

"Freddy is a kit," answered Arturo.

And at that same moment, they heard a terrifying sound outside the door.

(cat meowing) And the door swung open, and in walked Freddy, the cat.

(tense woodwind music) Except for Arturo who knew Freddy and wasn't afraid of him, they all started flapping their wings frantically trying to fly away, but with the shoes on their feet, they couldn't fly.

Try as they might with their wings fluttering and their voices chirping with fear, they were a teaming mass of terrifying birds roiling and rolling on the floor.

(tense instrumental music) ♪ Oh, what a night ♪ ♪ Try as you might ♪ ♪ Can't fly with our shoes on ♪ ♪ We're apart with our boots on ♪ ♪ Oh what a night ♪ ♪ Terrible fright ♪ ♪ Stuck with a bounty ♪ ♪ No help to be found here ♪ ♪ We, we, we, we, we, we're so afraid ♪ ♪ Never in our mind did we ever think ♪ ♪ We'd be in such a horrible predicament ♪ ♪ Self-made, we made ♪ ♪ Oh what a night ♪ ♪ Terrible night ♪ ♪ (indistinct) Can't fly with our shoes on ♪ ♪ Oh what a night ♪ ♪ Terrible night ♪ ♪ We, we, we, we, we, we're so afraid ♪ - The cat sat back on his hunches and shook his head.

"Oh, this beats everything I've ever seen," he said with smirk on his face.

"You birds look absolutely silly with those shoes on.

"I'll just sit here and enjoy the show "before I decide which of you I'll eat first."

"Freddy!"

Arturo exclaimed clucking his bill as loudly as he could.

"What has gotten into you?

"Usually, you're a friendly, sociable cat "contend to chase a mouse or two."

But Freddy ignored Arturo and looked the birds over to see who he would choose as his first victim.

"Maybe a nice, plump sterling!"

As he made a lunge toward the frightened bird, the starling ducked and screeched at Freddy as he passed by.

(dramatic instrumental music) Then Mickey, the mockingbird started mocking, not the cat, but the starling.

"Finley foul, what a show!

"Did you ever see a sterling starling?"

The birds were all terribly angry at the mockingbird.

They mocked him back.

♪ Finley foul, there goes the show ♪ ♪ You've never seen a sterling starling ♪ - "Mickey," cried Gloria, the goose.

"Whose side are you on anyway?

(tense instrumental music) "I always choose the winning side," the mockingbird replied.

(tense music) Then the cat set his sights on a beautiful multi-colored wood duck.

"Look at you, my pretty.

"You look good enough to eat!"

And he took a swipe at the duck.

(dramatic music) The wood duck quacked and barely got out of the way, fear written all over his face.

And would small Mickey mock the bird that Freddy was threatening?

"Hilly half, what a laugh!

"Did you ever see a word duck terror struck?"

Again, the birds mocked Mickey right back yelling at him.

♪ Hilly half, makes us to laugh ♪ ♪ You've never seen a wood duck terror struck ♪ - And this time it was Minerva, the owl who called to the mockingbird.

"Mickey, don't you have any loyalty to the bird family?

"What are you doing?

"Let the birds of a feather flock fearfully together.

"I'm siding with Freddy," he answered.

"Oh, you are just trying to save your own feathers," Minerva replied.

"Sometimes it doesn't pay to abandon your friends," she cautioned.

But Mickey paid her no mind.

(dramatic instrumental music) Then the cat took several quick passes at the jay and a quail.

(dramatic instrumental music) And since they had shoes over their sharp claws, Freddy was even bold enough to bully an owl and a hawk.

(dramatic instrumental music) They jumped and scrambled out of the way as best they could in their heavy shoes.

(dramatic instrumental music) This time, Mickey turned cartwheels as he mocked ♪ Fiddly hey, what a charade.

♪ "Did you ever see a quail fail, a jay pray, "an owl howl, (indistinct)?"

And all the birds back screeched back at Mickey.

♪ Fiddly hey, what a charade ♪ ♪ You've never seen a quail fail, a jay pray, ♪ ♪ an owl howl, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ You've never seen a sterling starling ♪ ♪ You've never seen a wood duck terror struck ♪ - And the birds thoroughly angry now at both Mickey, the mockingbird and Freddy, the cat pulled together into a tight group, and stood their ground, defiantly facing them both.

(dramatic instrumental music) Then can you believe it?

The cat backed down.

(down-tempo woodwind music) "Oh, who cares anyway?"

Freddy muttered.

"It's no fun to chase a bird with shoes on.

"It's too easy."

And he sat down on the shoe stool and began licking his paws and taking his bath.

(down-tempo woodwind music) Arturo realized somebody had to do something.

Even though Freddy had stopped threatening them for the moment, he might change his mind at any time.

So using his head, Arturo started hooking his way up the wall inch by inch by the power of his magnificent hinged beak.

(suspenseful music) (suspenseful music) He reached the windowsill, he stood on it, then he yelled to all outdoors, "Free the birds!

"Free the birds!"

♪ Free the birds ♪ ♪ Free the birds ♪ - "To whom it may concern."

♪ Hey-oh, hey-oh ♪ ♪ Free the birds ♪ ♪ Free the birds ♪ - "May we expect a reply and glorious obedience!"

♪ Please free us ♪ ♪ Please free us, free the birds ♪ ♪ Please free the birds ♪ - "Please answer ASAP!"

♪ Hurry, hurry, free the birds ♪ ♪ Free the birds ♪ - "Is anyone out there?"

♪ Free the birds ♪ - The whole night seemed to listen and finally someone heard their call.

(suspenseful music) Out of that darkest moment, the store all at once grew colored like the east at sunrise.

It was the most wondrous bird of all creation who answered, the firebird, the magnificent phoenix!

(dramatic music) (dramatic music) The Phoenix flew down through the sky in his red plumes.

(dramatic music) Now with his eyes sparkling like rubies, he lowered himself on his powerful, gently moving wings.

(dramatic music) "Grandfather Phoenix, what a surprise and an honor," said Minerva, the owl.

"Oh, thank you Grandfather Phoenix," said Arturo.

"You heard I call you, you come to save us."

"No," replied the phoenix.

"I'm afraid you'll have to save yourselves, "but I will be able to show you how.

"What a sad predicament you've gotten yourselves into?

"It almost brings tears to my eyes."

And shameless as ever Mickey chimed in.

"Oh, did you ever see a phoenix need a Kleenex?"

(playful flute music) "Mickey!"

Quacked Gloria, the goose.

"Don't you have any respect for the prince of the birds?"

"Let Michael be," the phoenix decreed.

"He has a fearful lesson coming.

"Now, first things first.

"Frederick," he called to the cat.

"He always used full names, not nicknames."

"Frederick, we don't like your attitude.

"Get ready to leave the store immediately "or suffer the consequences."

And as he said it, he flexed his magnificent red wings into an awesome display.

(dramatic instrumental music) For once, Freddy was the one who was terrified and he began looking around for a way to escape.

(tense instrumental music) Sensing the cat's fear and the bird's new power, Mickey decided to change sides yet again.

And he threw an insult this time to Freddy, the cat.

"Oh, hiddly hey," he said.

"What a brat?

(playful flute music) "Did you ever see a cat scared?"

But Freddy, who didn't like to be insulted, said, "Don't you mock me!"

And in an instant, he swooped Mickey up in his clothes with one hand and swallowed him, boot, bone, and all.

(dramatic music) And with that, Freddy dashed out through the cat door and escaped.

"Oh, he's gone, he's gone!"

Cried the blue Jay.

"Oh, they're both gone," exalted the wood duck.

And all the birds broke into song, "Grandfather Phoenix," they sang.

"You saved us from the cat's claws, "and the mockingbird's taunts.

"You freed the birds."

♪ You freed the birds ♪ ♪ You freed the birds ♪ ♪ All hail to Grandfather Phoenix ♪ ♪ He freed the birds ♪ - But Grandfather Phoenix cocked his head, raised one of his primary feathers and said, "No, dear friends, I didn't free you.

"The cat is gone, but you are not free yet.

"As I told you, you'll have to save yourselves."

"Oh, which we won't hear of it," Gloria, the goose replied.

"Of course you freed us.

"Oh, you must let us thank you for it.

"And by the way, "we both have really come up in the world "since you last saw us.

(giggling) "Notice anything different, "like beautiful new shoes?"

"No shoes, they've cost you too much," the Phoenix replied.

"But the goose paid, she paid for everybody," they all cried.

Then the Jay blurted out.

"But Grandfather Phoenix, you're barefooted."

"Oh my, my," said Arturo.

"We have to do something about that.

"Gloria, please choose a special pair of shoes "for Grandfather Phoenix, eh?"

But before Gloria could move, the Phoenix said, "Thank you, but no shoes for me.

"They would take away my special gift.

"I'm afraid they've already taken yours away."

"What?

"We're the same as before, "we just look better with shoes on, "hiding our skinny feet.

"What special gift are you talking about?"

Asked the jay.

And the Phoenix replied, "In your question lies the answer.

"Think, how did you get here?"

And with that, he stepped off the windowsill and floated majestically away, carried by his broad, beautiful red wings.

(dramatic instrumental music) "In your question lies the answer," Gloria thought out loud about what the Phoenix had said.

"The answer is already in the question.

"What was the question?"

"Oh, I think it had to do with our special gift," replied Minerva, the owl.

"The jay had just asked, "'What special gifts are you talking about?'"

"Oh, I believe I know what Grandfather Phoenix "was talking about," said the goldfinch.

"Did you see his magnificent wings as he flew away?

"Oh, it makes me wanna use mine."

(Goldfinch grunting) But as hard as he tried, he couldn't soar and sail through the air as long as he had his shoes on.

The heavy things just kept him tied to the ground.

"That's it," said Arturo.

"He was trying to make us remember our wings."

And they all began to sing and chirp excitedly.

"Our wings, our wings, our special gift."

♪ Our wings, our wings ♪ ♪ Our wings, our wings, our wings ♪ ♪ Our wings, our wings ♪ ♪ Our wings, our wings ♪ ♪ Once we would fly high up in the sky ♪ ♪ Once we would sail, all hail in tail ♪ ♪ Once we could soar beyond the shore ♪ ♪ But that was before we forgot our wings ♪ ♪ Our wings ♪ ♪ Chirpree, chirpree, chirpree, chirp ♪ ♪ Once we were free to fly to a tree ♪ ♪ Once we could look down below ♪ ♪ Once we could fly up the mountain side ♪ ♪ Now we don't have to fly away by our wings ♪ ♪ Our wings ♪ ♪ Chirpree, chirpree, chirpree, chirp ♪ ♪ But now when we try to sail through the sky ♪ ♪ There's something amiss that keeps us like this ♪ ♪ There's no way to soar ♪ ♪ When we're stuck to the floor in our shoes, our shoes ♪ ♪ What's special for birds is not our words ♪ ♪ It's not a muse, it's not these shoes ♪ ♪ It's none of these things ♪ ♪ It's simply our wings ♪ ♪ Our wings, our wings ♪ ♪ We can fly ♪ - "Well," said the blue jay, "It's clear that we gotta get rid of these shoes.

"They just keep us from using their wings."

"Yep, yep, out with these shoes," cried the crows.

"Not so fast," cut Gloria, the goose.

"These shoes do dress up our feet, and she twirled a lovely little pirouette in her golden slippers.

But Arturo answered, "No, Gloria, "your feet were quite beautiful "even before you put the shoes on.

"And when you swim in the pond, "won't you find your waded feet much more useful "than those fancy shoes?"

"Oh, I guess you're right," she reluctantly replied.

"But of course he's right," Minerva responded.

"Shoes are for people, not for birds.

"Who got that idea started anyway?"

And Arturo sheepishly admitted, "I'm afraid it was I.

"I heard a little boy in this store this morning "say that shoes are for the birds.

"I guess I learned you have to look a little deeper "to see what words really mean."

"And if you just wouldn't repeat everything you hear," said Gloria dryly.

"Oh, you two," admonished Minerva, "always coughing at each other.

"If we took everything you said at face value, "we'd never know you were best friends.

"Now I think it's time for a vote.

"What say you, all the birds of the world?

"Shoes or no shoes?"

- [All] "No shoes!"

♪ No shoes, no shoes ♪ ♪ We were fine up the sky ♪ ♪ We would sail, wind on our wings ♪ ♪ No shoes ♪ ♪ We were fine up the sky ♪ ♪ We would sail, wind on our wings ♪ ♪ No shoes, give us back our feet ♪ ♪ No shoes, these are obsolete ♪ ♪ But no shoes, but no shoes ♪ ♪ No, no shoes ♪ - And with that, all the birds of the air kicked off their shoes and flew in a magnificent cloud out the shoe store window and away, away back to the four corners of the earth.

(dramatic instrumental music) (dramatic instrumental music) Some of them remembered their manners and said over their wings as they flew away, "Thanks for the nice party!"

(gentle instrumental music) But as you might have expected, three of the birds remained behind; Arturo, because he worked in the shoe store; (gentle instrumental music) Gloria, because she wanted to help her best friend, Arturo clean up and put away the big pile of shoes; (gentle instrumental music) And Minerva who wanted to talk with them about the fantastic experience they had just had.

(gentle instrumental music) She couldn't help it.

She was always drawing a lesson from her experiences.

That's what made owls so wise.

And what was the lesson she drew from this story?

Or to use the words of another great storyteller, "What was the moral of this fable?"

Actually, Minerva found two lessons or morals.

The first came from the phoenix.

(dramatic music) "In the question lies the answer."

And the second was, (dramatic music) "Don't ignore your special gift."

Then Arturo said, "I found the moral too."

(dramatic music) "Don't take everything at face value."

And Gloria spoke up with her moral.

(dramatic music) "Make most of the brains you have."

Then they all remembered the haunting message of the dodo.

"Two things are stronger than death."

(indistinct singing) (indistinct singing) ♪ Memories and love ♪ ♪ Memories ♪ ♪ Memories and love ♪ And that's the story of Arturo, the shoe bird and his friends.

And they have continued to be best friends even until this very day.

(dramatic instrumental music) - [Narrator] This program is brought to you in part by Paul and Sandra Goldner.

(bright upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)