In Sai Ngam in Northeastern Thailand, Lek hng hn?ng, the egotistical first-bird-in-waiting to the queen of Thailand, has been kidnapped by an evil bird vendor! And now she s stuck in a 350-year-old, 35,000-square-foot banyan tree. Gentle and kind Sumalee, third-bird-in-waiting, has come to her rescue, but she is caught and ends up trapped in the tree herself. Poor Songsuda, a pin-tailed parrot-finch, has been in the banyan tree so long that she s forgotten how old she is and has given up all hope of ever getting out of there. On top of that, it s really crowded because so many people buy birds, fish, turtles and eels to release into the tree for improved karma, which is silly since everyone knows that good karma comes from good deeds. When a wanderer of the world, singer of song and magician supreme (who is able to shape-shift into anything he wants) named Chatchom arrives, he might be their best and only chance at freedom, but Lek refuses to heed any suggestions from one who is of lesser birth than herself. All the while, Pichai, the evil bird vendor, keeps selling and retrieving birds over and over again. To help them escape, Chatchom shape-shifts into a monk and, with a simple bowl of rice, reminds Pichai of his kind nature and the lessons that his father taught him when he was young. In the end, Pichai leads Songsuda and all the birds, fish, turtles and eels out of the tree. Lek and Sumalee are returned to the queen s gardens on magic feathers given to them by Chatchom, but only after Lek realizes that you can learn from everyone and that everyone and everything has worth and value, even a single grain of rice. A lesson in life for all of us!

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