text: there is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth from the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree and does not rest until it has found one then singing among the savage branches it impales itself upon the longest sharpest spine and dying it rises above its own agony to outcarol the lark and the nightingale one superlative song existence the price but the whole world stills to listen and god in his heaven smiles for the best is only bought at the cost of great pain or so says the legend