The mockingbird perched on the edge of the decrepit telescope, its feathers a dazzling array of indigo and emerald. "Listen and you'll understand," it sang in a haunting melody, its gaze piercing through the grime.

"Understand what?" a gruff voice replied. The telescope's owner, Old Man Silas, peered up from his workbench, his rheumy eyes squinting at the bird. "You're just a silly mockingbird, repeating what it's heard."

The bird cocked its head, a glimmer dancing in its eyes. "Perhaps," it replied, "I'm simply reflecting the truth you've forgotten. Listen to the world, to your own heartbeat. Open your mind and heart to the magic that surrounds you." With that, it spread its wings and took flight, disappearing into the mist.