The morning sun no longer lured them into cheerful games as it had a few weeks ago. The leaves on the trees were changing into yellow and red dresses, and almost all the buzzing and hopping treats had disappeared from the grass. The little swallow Pip felt it in every feather. The air was colder, and in her small head, a quiet but insistent tickle echoed. It was strange, as if something was pulling her in one direction.
“Do you feel it too?” she asked her friend Swifty, as they sat on a power line, shivering from the cold.
Swifty shook his little head. “All I feel is that my feet are cold and I'm hungry. All the flies have hidden somewhere.”
Just then, an old and wise swallow, Wind-rider, flew to them. His feathers were darker, and his eyes had seen many journeys. He landed beside them with a grace the young swallows were still only practicing.
“That’s no ordinary tickle, Pip,” he said in a kind voice. “That is your inner compass awakening. It is calling you south.”
“A compass?” Pip wondered. “Like the one humans have? A little box with a needle?”
Wind-rider laughed. “No, our compass is invisible. It is a gift that each of us has in our heads. It helps us feel the great invisible force of our planet, which is called the magnetic field. Imagine it as long, long invisible lines that run from one end of the Earth to the other. We know how to find them and fly along them.”
Swifty’s eyes went wide. “Invisible lines? And they will lead us to warmth?”
“Exactly,” Wind-rider nodded. “They will lead us all the way to faraway Africa, where it is sunny now and there are so many insects flying about you won't know which to choose.”
Pip was curious, but also a little nervous. “And is it far?”
“Very far,” Wind-rider admitted. “The journey takes many days. We will fly over mountains, forests, and even over the great water. But you don't have to be afraid. We will all fly together and help each other.”
A few days later, all the swallows from the surrounding area gathered. There must have been a hundred of them! They formed a huge, chirping flock. Pip huddled closer to Swifty. “I hope I don’t get lost.”
“Don’t worry,” Swifty whispered to her, though his own little heart was beating like a drum. “We’ll stick together.”
At Wind-rider’s signal, the entire flock rose into the sky at once. It was an amazing sight! The sky darkened for a moment with thousands of flapping wings. Pip felt the invisible compass gently pulling her south. She tried to turn a little to the left. The feeling grew weaker. She tried to the right. It almost disappeared. Only when she turned directly south was the tickle strongest and most pleasant. Aha! So that’s how it works!
“I get it now!” she called out to Swifty. “It’s like a game of blind man’s buff, where someone whispers which way you should go!”
The first few days were exciting. The landscape below them changed. Green meadows gave way to colorful forests, and then to high rocky mountains whose peaks were as white as sugar.
“That’s snow,” Wind-rider explained during a short break for rest. “It’s so cold up there that it stays even in summer.”
One day, however, the sky became overcast with dark grey clouds. A strong wind rose, and it began to rain. The sun, which they also used for navigation, disappeared completely.
“What now? I can’t see anything!” Swifty panicked, as a gust of wind nearly blew him aside.
Pip was scared too. Her wings grew heavy with water, and visibility was almost zero. At that moment, she remembered Wind-rider's words. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She searched for that familiar feeling. And it was there! A quiet, but clear pull towards the south.
“Swifty, follow me!” she cried. “Our compass works even in a storm! Trust it!”
She caught the right direction, and Swifty joined her. The other swallows did the same. They flew low over the ground, relying only on their inner gift. It was a difficult test, but after several hours, the clouds finally broke, and the sun appeared again. Everyone was tired, but happy.
“Well done, Pip!” Wind-rider praised her. “You have discovered that our most important guide is the one we carry within ourselves. Failure would have been if we had scattered in fear, each in a different direction. But we stuck together.”
After flying over the mountains, the greatest challenge awaited them—the vast, endless sea. Pip had never seen so much water at once.
“How will we cross this? Where will we rest?” she asked with concern.
“We cannot rest here,” Wind-rider said gravely. “We must fly without stopping until we reach the other shore. That is why we ate so much before the journey, to build up energy reserves.”
The flight over the sea was long and monotonous. Below them, only blue water, and above them, blue sky. To pass the time, they counted the waves or sang swallow songs. Pip noticed that the older swallows flew at the front, creating the shape of the letter V.
“Why are we flying in this formation?” she asked Wind-rider when they briefly switched places at the lead.
“An excellent question! The first swallow has the hardest job because it breaks the air. This creates a current behind it that helps the others and saves their strength. That’s why we take turns at the front, so no one gets too tired. It’s teamwork.”
Pip understood. Being in a flock didn’t just mean flying together, but also helping one another. When she saw Swifty falling behind, she slowed down and encouraged him: “Just a little longer! Imagine the juicy mosquitoes waiting for us!”
Finally, after an endless flight, a strip of land appeared on the horizon. Africa! It was completely different from home. The trees had strange shapes, and the air was hot and smelled of spices. And it was buzzing everywhere! The insects were huge and delicious.
They settled near a large lake and feasted with delight. Pip was tired, but immensely proud. She had flown halfway across the world!
“So, young travelers? Was the journey worth it?” Wind-rider asked with a smile.
“Yes!” Pip and Swifty exclaimed in unison.
Pip looked north, from where they had come. She felt only a faint, almost imperceptible urge to return. She knew that feeling would sleep for a few months. But in the spring, it would awaken again. Her inner compass would call her once more to set out on the long journey home. She was no longer afraid of the journey. She knew she had a wonderful gift in her head that would always guide her safely to where she belonged.
What do you think, children, have you ever noticed in autumn how the little birds gather on the wires? Perhaps, just like Pip and Swifty, they are preparing for their great and adventurous journey. The next time you see them, you can wave to them and wish them a safe journey.