Answer:
"The brave little parrot" represents Buddha in an animal form. Behind its nature is the foundation of love. Inspired to solve immediate problems in its environment, it fruitlessly tried to extinguish the fire burning a whole forest by dripping water from the ocean. It did not wait for the super savers, but acted with its little resources to eventually drive the big God to tears, which came down as a rainfall to quench the fire and joyfully restored the environment for the sake of the desperate animals inhabiting it.
On the other hand, "if not higher" depicts the sudden disappearance of the Rabbi during the Penitential service. The Rabbi did not disappear into heaven during the service but went to the wood to cut firewood for some sick woman who needed the warmth from a fireside. Truly, the Rabbi ascended into the highest heavens, by allowing himself to be driven by love. God will answer his prayers readily because he is practical and knows what it means to answer the prayers of needy people.
The moral, spiritual, and ethical teachings in these ancient tales are comparable, with the contrast existing only in the personalities involved in the tales. Buddha is supposed to a God, but he came in the nature of a parrot. The Rabbi is a minister of God, who directs the people's prayers to God, but he tries his best to solve people's problems, at least in the name and for the sake of God.
Everyone needs to make a difference in our world with our little resources. When we try, who knows, God will come to our aid to solve the big problems which we cannot handle.
We can turn our long prayers to little kindness and love here and thereafter. They are more powerful and move God because He dwells in love.
Explanation:
"The brave little parrot" was written by Martin Rafe, 1998. Its teaching will help children to understand the important of sharing love.
Like the "if not higher" short story by I.L. Peretz which depicted the disappearance of the Rabbi during the Penitential service, as an ascent into heaven, these tales have rich moral, spiritual, and ethical lessons for everyone interested in living a "good samaritan" life.
