High in the emerald hills of Saint Lucia, where mist clung to the treetops and the songs of the forest never ended, lived a young parrot named Jacquot. His feathers shimmered with the colours of Saint Lucia’s heart—brilliant green, deep blue, and a touch of fiery red.
Jacquot was no ordinary bird. He was the pride of the forest, born to the royal line of Amazona versicolor parrots, the national bird of Saint Lucia. But Jacquot had a secret.
He couldn’t fly.
Not yet.
While other parrots soared from tree to tree with ease, Jacquot flapped and fluttered, often landing in a tumble of feathers and leaves. The other birds giggled kindly, but Jacquot always felt a little left behind.
One morning, Grandmother Parrot called a meeting on the tallest branch of the gommier tree.
“Listen well,” she cawed. “Humans are returning to the forest trails. They must remember who we are and why we matter.”
She turned to Jacquot, her wise eyes gleaming. “You, young one, will be our voice.”
Jacquot gulped. “But Grandmother, I can’t even fly!”
“You have something more powerful,” she whispered. “You have courage, and a story to tell.”
That evening, Jacquot climbed to a lookout rock near the forest edge. Below, a group of children on a school field trip walked quietly with their teacher. Jacquot took a deep breath, puffed out his colourful chest, and squawked:
“Helloooo! I’m Jacquot, the Saint Lucian parrot!”
The children gasped and looked up in delight.
“I may be small,” Jacquot continued, “but I come from a mighty line. We parrots are rare—found only here in Saint Lucia. We help spread seeds, keep the forest alive, and remind you to protect our home.”
The teacher smiled. “Children, that’s the Jacquot. He nearly disappeared once, but with love and care, his family made a comeback. Just like our island, they are strong and beautiful.”
Jacquot beamed with pride. And then… it happened.
He leapt off the rock, flapped his wings—and caught the wind!
He soared above the canopy, looping joyfully in the sky. Below, the children clapped and cheered.
From that day on, Jacquot flew every morning, sharing his story with anyone who would listen. He became a symbol of Saint Lucia’s spirit: vibrant, resilient, and full of hope.