Algy knows that in the human world of trouble and strife some times are darker and more forbidding than others, and at present things are looking particularly grim and menacing, to the extent that many of Algy’s friends feel as though they are stranded on a dismal rock, with the deep, dark waters surging all around and threatening to engulf them.

When Algy is stranded on such a rock, he remembers that although he may feel helpless, the rock that he clings to is strong, so he turns his gaze to the open sky, lets the wind blow freely through his feathers so that they remain fluffy, and thinks of the amazing kindness of all his good friends, not only to himself, but to each other – a kindness which he sees on Tumblr every single day 🙂

So Algy is thinking of you all – especially his good friends in America, and all those people, anywhere in the world, who are threatened by the current state of affairs in the USA – and he sends you all lots of especially fluffy hugs, to help you hold fast to your own rocks, stay strong, and resist the threats of the dark waters which surge around you xoxo

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Another day was drawing to a close, and for a short while the West Highland sky turned a colour rarely seen during this dismally dark and gloomy winter. But each day now was noticeably longer and brighter than the last, and when Algy gazed at the beautiful blue above him, and watched the world turn once again as the light slowly faded, he thought of the coming spring and felt a new surge of hope – so he sang the tune without the words, to send to all his friends, at home and abroad 🙂

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

[Algy is quoting the first two verses of the poem “Hope” is the thing with feathers by the 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson.]

Algy is posting this illustration from his new book especially for all his dear friends in Berlin and other parts of Germany.

He is so terribly sad that a tiny minority of human beings seem to be such cruel monsters, and they make the world appear such a dark place. But Algy never forgets that the vast majority of humans are really kind – including so many of his dear Tumblr friends – and that there are far, far more people in the world who go out of their way to do good and help others than there are who deliberately do harm.

Algy hopes that even in these times of darkness, you will always see the light that continues to shine. Algy loves you all, and sends you lots of extra special fluffy hugs xoxo

[This illustration by Jenny Chapman is from Chapter 4 of Algy’s new book The Magical Midwinter Star.]

p.s. Algy apologises for using the “photographers on tumblr” tag for an image which is not photographic, but many of his German Tumblr friends follow that tag and he wants to make sure that they see this post 🙂

Algy flew into the woodland, to a spot where the trees enclosed a beautiful lochan which formed a perfect mirror. Concealing himself in a straggly heather bush near a bed of water lilies, Algy gazed out at the water and the reflections of the trees, thinking of all his human friends in these deeply troubled times, and especially of his friends in France and Germany. In the peace and calm of the West Highland woodlands, he whispered these verses by the poet John Keats, for all his friends whose souls are wrapped in gloom just now:

When by my solitary hearth I sit,
And hateful thoughts enwrap my soul in gloom;
When no fair dreams before my “mind’s eye” flit,
And the bare heath of life presents no bloom;
Sweet Hope, ethereal balm upon me shed,
And wave thy silver pinions o’er my head.

Whene’er I wander, at the fall of night,
Where woven boughs shut out the moon’s bright ray,
Should sad Despondency my musings fright,
And frown, to drive fair Cheerfulness away,
Peep with the moon-beams through the leafy roof,
And keep that fiend Despondence far aloof

…

And as, in sparkling majesty, a star
Gilds the bright summit of some gloomy cloud;
Brightening the half veil’d face of heaven afar:
So, when dark thoughts my boding spirit shroud,
Sweet Hope, celestial influence round me shed,
Waving thy silver pinions o’er my head.

[Algy is quoting the first two verses and the last verse from the poem To Hope by the early 19th century English poet John Keats.]

adventuresofalgy:

Algy was appalled and dreadfully saddened by the awful events in Paris last night. He quickly turned himself into a Tricolor fluffy bird, and perched beside a calm, silent pool, thinking of everyone suffering in France and elsewhere as a result of human violence.

Algy is thinking especially of his dear friends in Paris today, and in these dark and dreadful hours he sings this famous poem by Emily Dickinson for you, and says please do not let go of hope. Algy is praying a fluffy bird prayer for you all today, and for peace xoxo

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

[Algy is quoting the first two stanzas of the poem “Hope” is the thing with feathers by the 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson.]

Algy is so terribly sad to have to reblog this image – which he had hoped never to have to use again after the awful attacks in Paris in November 2015 – but to his dismay, the horror continues…

He sends his fluffiest hugs to his dear friends in France, especially those on the Côte d’Azure, and to all his friends around the world who long for peace xoxoxo

Algy has been horribly shocked and deeply saddened by the terrorist attack in Brussels. It is impossible for a fluffy bird to understand how some human creatures can be so heartlessly violent and cruel. But as he perched beside the sea, wondering – like so many of his friends – how such things could happen, the sun suddenly emerged from behind a black cloud and lit up the dark rocks. In the burst of light and warmth, Algy thought of all his wonderful friends, and realised that the majority of humans were really good and kind. So Algy sang a fluffy bird song, praying that the good and kind would triumph and there would be far more fluffiness instead of violence in the world…

adventuresofalgy:

Night was falling. Algy was feeling a little less dizzy now, so he decided to start making his way home before it got too dark to see his way. Turning his back on the great sea loch, he flew quickly through the long pass, and down onto the shores of the quiet loch. A new moon was slowly sinking into the last remains of the sunset, and everything was calm. It was an unusually beautiful evening…

Algy has learned that at least one of his Tumblr friends lives very close to the rue Alibert in Paris, and often ate in the cantine where at least 12 people were killed in the attacks last night. It was only by chance that they did not go there last night. People they know have been injured or killed. Algy won’t mention any names, but he is reblogging this calm and beautiful scene for them and for everyone directly affected by the attacks. Algy is thinking of you.

May peace be with you all, and may you find hope in this time of darkness xx

It was a mild, bright sort of day for November, so Algy set out in search of new adventures while the sun was still warm. There were strange patterns on the sea at the Horseshoe Bay, whipped up by the wind that was whistling sharply through Algy’s hair, and so he tucked himself tightly into a patch of dead bracken leaves for shelter. Algy was still thinking of the terrible tragedy on the other side of the world, and of how lucky he was to be sitting safely in such a beautiful place on a lovely day. There was very little that a small fluffy bird could do for the devastated people of the Philippines except send them a message of hope, and so he thought of a poem by Emily Dickinson:

          “Hope” is the thing with feathers –
          That perches in the soul –
          And sings the tune without the words –
          And never stops – at all –

          And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
          And sore must be the storm –
          That could abash the little Bird
          That kept so many warm –

[Algy is quoting the first two verses of Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope” is the thing with feathers.]