Richard Bach. Jonathan Livingston Seagull

2/1/2017 RichardBach.
JonathanLivingstonSeagull
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RichardBach.JonathanLivingstonSeagull
TotherealJonathanSeagull,
wholiveswithinusall.
PartOne
Itwasmorning,andthenewsunsparkledgoldacrosstheripplesofa
gentlesea.Amilefromshoreafishingboatchummedthewater.andthe
wordforBreakfastFlockflashedthroughtheair,tillacrowdofa
thousandseagullscametododgeandfightforbitsoffood.Itwasanother
busydaybeginning.
Butwayoffalone,outbyhimselfbeyondboatandshore,Jonathan
LivingstonSeagullwaspracticing.Ahundredfeetintheskyhelowered
hiswebbedfeet,liftedhisbeak,andstrainedtoholdapainfulhard
twistingcurvethroughhiswings.Thecurvemeantthathewouldfly
slowly,andnowhesloweduntilthewindwasawhisperinhisface,until
theoceanstoodstillbeneathhim.Henarrowedhiseyesinfierce
concentration,heldhisbreath,forcedone...single...more...inch...
of...curve...Thenhisfeatliersruffled,hestalledandfell.
Seagulls,asyouknow,neverfalter,neverstall.Tostallintheair
isforthemdisgraceanditisdishonor.
ButJonathanLivingstonSeagull,unashamed,stretchinghiswings
againinthattremblinghardcurveslowing,slowing,andstallingonce
morewasnoordinarybird.
Mostgullsdon'tbothertolearnmorethanthesimplestfactsof
flighthowtogetfromshoretofoodandbackagain.Formostgulls,it
isnotflyingthatmatters,buteating.Forthisgull,though,itwasnot
eatingthatmattered,butflight.Morethananythingelse.Jonathan
LivingstonSeagulllovedtofly.
Thiskindofthinking,hefound,isnotthewaytomakeone'sself
popularwithotherbirds.EvenhisparentsweredismayedasJonathanspent
wholedaysalone,makinghundredsoflowlevelglides,experimenting.
Hedidn'tknowwhy,forinstance,butwhenheflewataltitudesless
thanhalfhiswingspanabovethewater,hecouldstayintheairlonger,
withlesseffort.Hisglidesendednotwiththeusualfeetdownsplash
intothesea,butwithalongflatwakeashetouchedthesurfacewithhis
feettightlystreamlinedagainsthisbody.Whenhebeganslidinginto
feetuplandingsonthebeach,thenpacingthelengthofhisslideinthe
sand,hisparentswereverymuchdismayedindeed.
"Why,Jon,why?"hismotherasked."Whyisitsohardtobelikethe
restoftheflock,Jon?Whycan'tyouleavelowflyingtothepelicans,
thealhatross?Whydon'tyoueat?Son,you'reboneandfeathers!"
"Idon'tmindbeingboneandfeathersmom.IjustwanttoknowwhatI
candointheairandwhatIcan't,that'sall.Ijustwanttoknow."
"SeehereJonathan"saidhisfathernotunkindly."Winterisn'tfar
away.Boatswillbefewandthesurfacefishwillbeswimmingdeep.Ifyou
muststudy,thenstudyfood,andhowtogetit.Thisflyingbusinessis
allverywell,butyoucan'teataglide,youknow.Don'tyouforgetthat
thereasonyouflyistoeat."
Jonathannoddedobediently.Forthenextfewdayshetriedtobehave
liketheothergulls;hereallytried,screechingandfightingwiththe
flockaroundthepiersandfishingboats,divingonscrapsoffishand
bread.Buthecouldn'tmakeitwork.
It'sallsopointless,hethought,deliberatelydroppingahardwon
anchovytoahungryoldgullchasinghim.Icouldbespendingallthis
timelearningtofly.There'ssomuchtolearn!
http://lib.ru/RBACH/seagullengl.txt 1/14
2/1/2017 RichardBach.JonathanLivingstonSeagull
Itwasn'tlongbeforeJonathanGullwasoffbyhimselfagain,farout
atsea,hungry,happy,learning.
Thesubjectwasspeed,andinaweek'spracticehelearnedmoreabout
speedthanthefastestgullalive.
Fromathousandfeet,flappinghiswingsashardashecould,he
pushedoverintoablazingsteepdivetowardthewaves,andlearnedwhy
seagullsdon'tmakeblazingsteeppewerdives.Injustsixsecondshewas
movingseventymilesperhour,thespeedatwhichone'swinggoesunstable
ontheupstroke.
Timeaftertimeithappened.Carefulashewas,workingatthevery
peakofhisability,helostcontrolathighspeed.
Climbtoathousandfeet.Fullpowerstraightaheadfirst,thenpush
over,flapping,toaverticaldive.Then,everytime,hisleftwing
stalledonanupstroke,he'drollviolentlyleft,stallhisrightwing
recovering,andflicklikefireintoawildtumblingspintotheright.
Hecouldn'tbecarefulenoughonthatupstroke.Tentimeshetried,
andalltentimes,ashepassedthroughseventymilesperhour,heburst
intoachurningmassoffeathers,outofcontrol,crashingdownintothe
water.
Thekey,hethoughtatlast,drippingwet,mustbetoholdthewings
stillathighspeedstoflapuptofiftyandthenholdthewingsstill.
Fromtwothousandfeethetriedagain,rollingintohisdive,beak
straightdown,wingsfulloutandstablefromthemomenthepassedfifty
milesperhour.Ittooktremendousstrength,butitworked.Intenseconds
hehadblurredthroughninetymilesperhour.Jonathanhadsetaworld
speedrecordforseagulls!
Butvictorywasshortlived.Theinstanthebeganhispullout,the
instanthechangedtheangleofhiswings,hesnappedintothatsame
terribleuncontrolleddisaster,andatninetymilesperhourithithim
likedynamite.JonathanSeagullexplodedinmidairandsmasheddownintoa
brickhardsea.
Whenhecameto,itwaswellafterdark,andhefloatedinmoonlight
onthesurfaceoftheocean.Hiswingswereraggedbarsoflead,butthe
weightoffailurewasevenheavieronhisback.Hewished,feebly,that
theweightcouldbejustenoughtodrughimgentlydowntothebottom,and
enditall.
Ashesanklowinthewater,astrangehollowvoicesoundedwithin
him.There'snowayaroundit.Iamaseagull.Iamlimitedbymynature.
IfIweremeanttolearnsomuchaboutflying,I'dhavechartsforbrains.
IfIweremeanttoflyatspeed,I'dhaveafalcon'sshortwings,andlive
onmiceinsteadoffish.Myfatherwasright.Imustforgetthis
foolishness.ImustflyhometotheFlockandbecontentasIam,asa
poorlimitedseagull.
Thevoicefaded,andJonathanagreed.Theplaceforaseagullat
nightisonshore,andfromthismomentforth,hevowed,hewouldbea
normalgull.Itwouldmakeeveryonehappier.
Hepushedwearilyawayfromthedarkwaterandflewtowardtheland,
gratefulforwhathehadlearnedaboutworksavinglowaltitudeflying.
Butno,hethought.IamdonewiththewayIwas,Iamdonewith
everythingIlearned.Iamaseagulllikeeveryotherseagull,andIwill
flylikeone.Soheclimbedpainfullytoahundredfeetandflappedhis
wingsharder,pressingforshore.
HefeltbetterforhisdecisiontobejustanotheroneoftheFlock.
Therewouldbenotiesnowtotheforcethathaddrivenhimtolearn,
therewouldbenomorechallengeandnomorefailure.Anditwaspretty,
justtostopthinking,andflythroughthedark,towardthelightsabove
thebeach.
Dark!Thehollowvoicecrackedinalarm.Seagullsneverflyinthe
dark!
Jonathanwasnotalerttolisten.It'spretty,hethought.Themoon
andthelightstwinklingonthewater,throwingoutlittlebeacontrails
throughthenight,andallsopeacefulandstill...
Getdown!Seagullsneverflyinthedark!Ifyouweremeanttoflyin
thedark,you'dhavetheeyesofanowl!You'dhavechartsforbrains!
You'dhaveafalcon'sshortwings!
Thereinthenight,ahundredfeetintheair,JonathanLivingston
Seagullblinked.Hispain,hisresolutions,vanished.
Shortwings.Afalcon'sshortwings!
Shortwings.Afalcon'sshortwings!
That'stheanswer!WhatafoolI'vebeen!AllIneedisatinylittle
wing,allIneedistofoldmostofmywingsandflyonjustthetips
alone!Shortwings!
Heclimbedtwothousandfeetabovetheblacksea,andwithouta
momentforthoughtoffailureanddeath,hebroughthisforewingstightly
intohisbody,leftonlythenarrowsweptdaggersofhiswingtips
extendedintothewind,andfellintoaverticaldive.
Thewindwasamonsterroarathishead.Seventymilesperhour,
ninety,ahundredandtwentyandfasterstill.Thewingstrainnowata
hundredandfortymilesperhourwasn'tnearlyashardasithadbeen
beforeatseventy,andwiththefaintesttwistofhiswingtipsheeased
outofthediveandshotabovethewaves,agraycannonballunderthe
moon.
Heclosedhiseyestoslitsagainstthewindandrejoiced.Ahundred
fortymilesperhour!Andundercontrol!IfIdivefromfivethousandfeet
insteadoftwothousand,Iwonderhowfast..
Hisvowsofamomentbeforewereforgotten,sweptawayinthatgreat
swiftwind.Yethefeltguiltless,breakingthepromiseshehadmade
himself.Suchpromisesareonlyforthegullsthataccepttheordinary.
Onewhohastouchedexcellenceinhislearninghasnoneedofthatkindof
promise.
Bysunup,JonathanGullwaspracticingagain.Fromfivethousandfeet
thefishingboatswerespecksintheflatbluewater,BreakfastFlockwas
afaintcloudofdustmotes,circling.
Hewasalive,tremblingeversoslightlywithdelight,proudthathis
fearwasundercontrol.Thenwithoutceremonyhehuggedinhisforewings,
extendedhisshort,angledwingtips,andplungeddirecflytowardthesea.
Bythetimehepassedfourthousandfeethehadreachedterminalvelocity,
thewindwasasolidbeatingwallofsoundagainstwhichhecouldmoveno
faster.Hewasflyingnowstraightdown,attwohundredfourteenmilesper
hour.Heswallowed,knowingthatifhiswingsunfoldedatthatspeedbe'd
beblownintoamilliontinyshredsofseagull.Butthespeedwaspower,
andthespeedwasjoy,andthespeedwaspurebeauty.
Hebeganhispulloutatathousandfeet,wingtipsthuddingand
blurringinthatgigatiticwind,theboatandthecrowdofgullstilting
andgrowingmeteorfast,directlyinhispath.
Hecouldn'tstop;hedidn'tknowyetevenhowtoturnatthatspeed.
Collisionwouldbeinstantdeath.
Andsoheshuthiseyes.
Ithappenedthatmorning,then,justaftersunrise,thatIonathan
LivingstonSeagullfireddirectlythroughthecenterofBreakfastFlock,
tickingofftwohundredtwelvemilesperhour,eyesclosed,inagreat
roaringshriekofwindandfeathers.TheGullofFortunesmileduponhim
thisonce,andnoonewaskilled.
Bythetimehehadpulledhisbeakstraightupintotheskyhewas
stillscorchingalongatahundredandsixtymilesperhour.Whenhehad
slowedtotwentyandstretchedhiswingsagainatlast,theboatwasa
crumbonthesea,fourthousandfeetbelow.
Histhoughtwastriumph.Terminalvelocity!Aseagullattwohundred
fourteenmilesperhour!Itwasabreakthrough,thegreatestsinglemoment
inthehistoryoftheFlock,andinthatmomentanewageopenedfor
JonathanGull.Flyingouttohislonelypracticearea,foldinghiswings
foradivefromeightthousandfeet,hesethimselfatoncetodiscover
howtoturn.
Asinglewingtipfeather,hefound,movedafractionofaninch,
givesasmoothsweepingcurveattremendousspeed.Beforehelearnedthis,
however,hefoundthatmovingmorethanonefeatheratthatspeedwill
spinyoulikearitIeball...andJonathanhadflownthefirstaerobatics
ofanyseagullonearth.
Hesparednotimethatdayfortalkwithothergulls,butflewon
pastsunset.Hediscoveredtheloop,theslowroll,thepointroll,the
invertedspin,thegullbunt,thepinwheel.
WhenJonathanSeagulljoinedtheFlockonthebeach,itwasfull
night.Hewasdizzyandterriblytired.Yetindelightheflewaloopto
landing,withasnaprolljustbeforetouchdown.Whentheyhearofit,he
thought,oftheBreakthrough,they'llbewildwithjoy.Howmuchmore
thereisnowtoliving!Insteadofourdrabsloggingforthandbacktothe
thereisnowtoliving!Insteadofourdrabsloggingforthandbacktothe
fishingboats,there'sareasontolife!Wecanliftourselvesoutof
ignorance,wecanfindourselvesascreaturesofexcellenceand
intelligenceandskill.Wecanbefree!Wecanlearntofly!
Theyearsaheadhummedandglowedwithpromise.
ThegullswereflockedintotheCouncilGatheringwhenhelanded,and
apparentlyhadbeensoflockedforsometime.Theywere,infact,waiting.
"JonathanLivingstonSeagull!StandtoCenter!"TheElder'swords
soundedinavoiceofhighestceremony.StandtoCentermeantonlygreat
shameorgreathonor.StandtoCenterforHonorwasthewaythegulls'
foremostleadersweremarked.Ofcourse,hethought,theBreakfastFlock
thismorning;theysawtheBreakthrough!ButIwantnohonors.Ihaveno
wishtobeleader.IwantonlytosharewhatI'vefound,toshowthose
horizonsoutaheadforusall.Hesteppedforward.
"JonathanLivingstonSeagull,"saidtheElder,"StandtoCenterfor
Shameinthesightofyourfellowgulls!"
Itfeltlikebeinghitwithaboard.Hiskneeswentweak,his
featherssagged,therewasroaringinhisears.Centeredforshame?
Impossible!TheBreakthrough!Theycan'tunderstand!They'rewrong,
they'rewrong!
"...forhisrecklessirresponsibility"thesolemnvoiceintoned,
"violatingthedignityandtraditionoftheGullFamily..."
Tobecenteredforshamemeantthathewouldbecastoutofgull
society,banishedtoasolitarylifeontheFarCliffs.
"...onedayJonathanLivingstonSeagull,youshalllearnthat
irresponsibilitydoesnotpay.Lifeistheunknownandtheunknowable,
exceptthatweareputintothisworldtoeat,tostayaliveaslongaswe
possiblycan."
AseagullneverspeaksbacktotheCouncilFlock,butitwas
Jonathan'svoiceraised."Irresponsibility?Mybrothers!"hecried."Who
ismoreresponsiblethanagullwhofindsandfollowsameaning,ahigher
purposeforlife?Forathousandyearswehavescrabbledafterfishheads,
butnowwehaveareasontolivetolearn,todiscover,tobefree!Give
meonechance,letmeshowyouwhatI'vefound..."
TheFlockmightaswellhavebeenstone.
"TheBrotherhoodisbroken,"thegullsintonedtogether,andwithone
accordtheysolemnlyclosedtheirearsandturnedtheirbacksuponhim.
JonathanSeagullspenttherestofhisdaysalone,butheflewway
outbeyondtheFarCliffs.Hisonesorrowwasnotsolituile,itwasthat
othergullsrefusedtobelievethegloryofflightthatawaitedthem;they
refusedtoopentheireyesandsee.Helearnedmoreeachday.Helearned
thatastreamlinedhighspeeddivecouldbringhimtofindtherareand
tastyfishthatschooledtenfeetbelowthesurfaceoftheocean:heno
longerneededfishingboatsandstalebreadforsurvival.Helearnedto
sleepintheair,settingacourseatnightacrosstheoffshorewind,
coveringahundredmilesfromsunsettosunrise.Withthesameinner
control,heflewthroughheavyseafogsandclimbedabovetheminto
dazzlingclearskies...intheverytimeswheneveryothergullstoodon
theground,knowingnothingbutmistandrain.Helearnedtoridethehigh
windsfarinland,todinethereondelicateinsects.
WhathehadoncehopedfortheFlock,henowgainedforhimself
alone;helearnedtofly,andwasnotsorryforthepricethathehad
paid.JonathanScagulldiscoveredthatboredomandfearandangerarethe
reasonsthatagull'slifeissoshort,andwiththesegonefromhis
thought,helivedalongfinelifeindeed.
Theycameintheevening,then,andfoundIonathanglidingpeaceful
andalonethroughhisbelovedsky.Thetwogullsthatappearedathis
wingswerepureasstarlight,andtheglowfromthemwasgentleand
friendlyinthehighnightair.Butmostlovelyofallwastheskillwith
whichtheyflew,theirwingtipsmovingapreciseandconstantinchfrom
hisown.Withoutaword,Jonathanputthemtohistest,atestthatno
gullhadeverpassed.Hetwistedhiswings,slowedtoasinglemileper
hourabovestall.Thetworadiantbirdsslowedwithhim,smoothly,locked
inposition.Theyknewaboutslowflying.
Hefoldedhiswings,rolledanddroppedinadivetoahundredninety
milesperhour.Theydroppedwithhim,streakingdowninflawless
formation.
Atlastheturnedthatspeedstraightupintoalongvertical
slowroll.Theyrolledwithhim,smiling.
Herecoveredtolevelflightandwasquietforatimebeforehe
Herecoveredtolevelflightandwasquietforatimebeforehe
spoke."Verywell,"hesaid,"whoareyou?"
"We'refromyourFlock,Jonathan.Weareyourbrothers."Thewords
werestrongandcalm."We'vecometotakeyouhigher,totakeyouhome."
"HomeIhavenone.FlockIhavenone.IamOutcast.Andweflynowat
thepeakoftheGreatMountainWind.Beyondafewhundredfeet,Icanlift
thisoldbodynohigher."
"ButyoucanJonathan.Foryouhavelearned.Oneschoolisfinished,
andthetimehascomeforanothertobegin."
Asithadshinedacrosshimallhislife,sounderstandinglighted
thatmomentforJonathanSeagull.Theywereright.Hecouldflyhigher,
anditwastimetogohome.
Hegaveonelastlookacrossthesky,acrossthatmagnificentsilver
landwherehehadlearnedsomuch.
"I'mready"hesaidatlast.
AndJonathanLivingstonSeagullrosewiththetwostarbrightgullsto
disappearintoaperfectdarksky.
PartTwo
Sothisisheaven,hethought,andhehadtosmileathimself.Itwas
hardlyrespectfultoanalyzeheavenintheverymomentthatonefliesup
toenterit.
AshecamefromEarthnow,abovethecloudsandincloseformation
withthetwobrilliantgulls,hesawthathisownbodywasgrowingas
brightastheirs.True,thesameyoungJonathanSeagullwastherethathad
alwayslivedbehindhisgoldeneyes,buttheouterformhadchanged.
Itfeltlikeaseagullbody,butalreadvitflewfarbetterthanhis
oldonehadeverflown.Why,withhalftheeffort,hethought,I'llget
twicethespeed,twicetheperformanceofmybestdaysonEarth!
Hisfeathersglowedbrilliantwhitenow,andhiswingsweresmooth
andperfectassheetsofpolishedsilver.Hebegan,delightedly,tolearn
aboutthem,topresspowerintothesenewwings.
Attwohundredfiftymllesperhourhefeltthathewasnearinghis
levelflightmaximumspeed.Attwohundredseventythreehethoughtthat
hewasflyingasfastashecouldfly,andhewaseversofaintly
disappointed.Therewasalimittohowmuchthenewbodycoulddo,and
thoughitwasmuchfasterthanhisoldlevelflightrecord,itwasstilla
limitthatwouldtakegreatefforttocrack.Inheaven,hethought,there
shouldbenolimits.
Thecloudsbrokeapart,hisescortscalled,"Happylandings,
Jonathan,"andvanishedintothinair.
Hewasflyingoverasea,towardajaggedshoreline.Averyfew
seagullswereworkingtheupdraftsonthecliffs.Awayofftothenorth,
atthehorizonitself,flewafewothers.Newsights,newthoughts,new
questions.Whysofewgulls?Heavenshouldbeflockedwithgulls!Andwhy
amIsotired,allatonce?Gullsinheavenareneversupposedtobe
tired,ortosleep.
Wherehadheheardthat?ThememoryofhislifeonEarthwasfalling
away.Earthhadbeenaplacewherehehadlearnedmuch,ofcourse,butthe
detailswereblurredsomethingaboutfightingforfood,andbeing
Outcast.
Thedozengullsbytheshorelinecametomeethim,nonesayinga
word.Hefeltonlythathewaswelcomeandthatthiswashome.Ithadbeen
abigdayforhim,adaywhosesunrisehenolongerremembered.
Heturnedtolandonthebeach,beatinghiswingstostopaninchin
theair,thendroppinglightlytothesand,Theothergullslandedtoo,
butnotoneofthemsomuchasflappedafeather.Theyswungintothe
wind,brightwingsoutstretched,thensomehowtheychangedthecurveof
theirfeathersuntiltheyhadstoppedinthesameinstanttheirfeet
touchedtheground.Itwasbeautifulcontrol,butnowJonathanwasjust
tootiredtotryit.Standiugthereonthebeach,stillwithoutaword
spoken,hewasasleep.
Inthedaysthatfollowed,Jonathansawthattherewasasmuchto
learnaboutflightinthisplaceastherehadbeeninthelifebehindhim.
Butwithadifference.Hereweregullswhothoughtashethought,Foreach
ofthem,themostimportantthinginlivingwastoreachoutandtouch
perfectioninthatwhichtheymostlovedtodo,andthatwastofly.They
weremagnificentbirds,allofthem,andtheyspenthourafterhourevery
daypracticingflight,testingadvancedaeronautics.
ForalongtimeJonathanforgotabouttheworldthathehadcome
from,thatplacewheretheFlocklivedwithitseyestightlyshuttothe
joyofflight,usingitswingsasmeanstotheendoffindingandfighting
forfood.Butnowandthen,justforamoment,heremembered.
Heremembereditonemorningwhenhewasoutwithhisinstructor,
whiletheyrestedonthebeachafterasessionoffoldedwingsnaprolls.
"Whereiseverybody,Sullivan?"heaskedsilently,quiteathomenow
withtheeasytelepathythatthesegullsusedinsteadofscreesand
gracks."Whyaren'ttheremoreofushere?Why,whereIcamefromthere
were.."
"...thousandsandthousandsofgulls.Iknow."Sullivanshookhis
head."TheonlyanswerIcansee,Jonathan,isthatyouareprettywella
oneinamillionbird.Mostofuscamealongeversoslowly.Wewentfrom
oneworldintoanotherthatwasalmostexactlylikeit,forgettiugright
awaywherewehadcomefrom,notcaringwherewewereheaded,livingfor
themoment.Doyouhaveanyideahowmanyliveswemusthavegonethrough
beforeweevengorthefirstideathatthereismoretolifethaneating,
orfighting,orpowerintheFlock?Athousandlives,Jon,tenthousand!
Andthenanotherhundredlivesuntilwebegantolearnthatthereissuch
athingasperfection,andanotherhundredagaintogettheideathatour
purposeforlivingistofindthatperfectionandshowitforth.Thesame
ruleholdsforusnow,ofcourse:wechooseournextworldthroughwhatwe
learninthisone.Learnnothing,andthenextworldisthesameasthis
one,allthesamelimitationsandleadweightstoovercome."
Hestretchedhiswingsandturnedtofacethewind."Butyou,Jon,"
hesaid,"learnedsomuchatonetimethatyoudidn'thavetogothrougha
thousandlivestoreachthisone."
Inamomenttheywereairborneagain,practicing.Theformation
pointroilsweredifficult,forthroughtheinvertedhalfJonathanhadto
thinkupsidedown,reversingthecurveofhiswing,andreversingit
exactlyinharmonywithhisinstructor's.
"Let'stryitagain."Sullivansaidoverandover:"Let'stryit
again."Then,finally,"Good."Andtheybeganpracticingoutsideloops.
Oneeveningthegullsthatwerenotnightflyingstoodtogetheron
thesand,thinking.Jonathantookallhiscourageinhandandwalkedto
theElderGull,who,itwassaid,wassoontobemovingbeyondthisworld.
"Chiang..."hesaidalittlenervously.
Theoldseagulllookedathimkindly."Yes,myson?"Insteadofbeing
enfeebledbyage,theElderhadbeenempoweredbyit;hecouldoutflyany
gullintheFlock,andhehadlearnedskillsthattheotherswereonly
graduallycomingtoknow.
"Chiang,thisworldisn'theavenatall,isit?"TheEldersmiledin
themoonlight."Youarelearningagain,JonathanSeagull,"hesaid.
"Well,whathappensfromhere?Wherearewegoing?Istherenosuch
placeasheaven?"
"No,Jonathan,thereisnosuchplace.Heavenisnotaplace,andit
isnotatime.Heavenisbeingperfect."Hewassilentforamoment."You
areaveryfastflier,aren'tyou?"
"I...Ienjoyspeed,"Jonathansaid,takenabackbutproudthatthe
Elderhadnoticed.
"Youwillbegintotouchheaven,Jonathan,inthemomentthatyou
touchperfectspeed.Andthatisn'tflyingathousandmilesanhour,ora
million,orflyingatthespeedoflight.Becauseanynumberisalimit,
andperfectiondoesn'thavelimits.Perfectspeed,myson,isbeing
there."
Withoutwarning,Chiangvanishedandappearedatthewater'sedge
fiftyfeetaway,allintheflickerofaninstant.Thenhevanishedagain
andstood,inthesamemillisecond,atJonathan'sshoulder."It'skindof
fun,"hesaid.
Jonathanwasdazzled.Heforgottoaskaboutheaven."Howdoyoudo
that?Whatdoesitfeellike?Howfarcanyougo?"
"Youcangotoanyplaceandtoanytimethatyouwishtogo,"the
Eldersaid."I'vegoneeverywhereandeverywhenIcanthinkof."Helooked
acrossthesea."It'sstrange.Thegullswhoscornperfectionforthesake
oftravelgonowhere,slowly.Thosewhoputasidetravelforthesakeof
perfectiongoanywhere,instantly.Remember,Jonathan,heavenisn'ta
placeoratime,becauseplaceandtimearesoverymeaningless.Heaven
is..."
"Canyouteachmetoflylikethat?"JonathanSeagulltrembledto
conqueranotherunknown.
"Ofcourseifyouwishtolearn."
"Iwish.Whencanwestart?".
"Wecouldstartnowifyou'dlike."
"Iwanttolearntoflylikethat,"Jonathansaidandastrangelight
glowedinhiseyes."Tellmewhattodo,"
Chiangspokeslowlyandwatchedtheyoungergulleversocarefully.
"Toflyasfastasthought,toanywherethatis,"hesaid,"youmustbegin
byknowingthatyouhavealreadyarrived..."
Thetrick,accordingtoChiang,wasforJonathantostopseeing
himselfastrappedinsidealimitedbodythathadafortytwoinch
wingspanandperformancethatcouldbeplottedonachart.Thetrickwas
toknowthathistruenaturelived,asperfectasanunwrittennumber,
everywhereatonceacrossspaceandtime.
Jonathankeptatit,fiercely,dayafterday,frombeforesunrise
tillpastmidnight.Andforallhisefforthemovednotafeatherwidth
fromhisspot.
"Forgetaboutfaith!"Chiangsaidittimeandagain."Youdidn'tneed
faithtofly,youneededtounderstandflying.Thisisjastthesame.Now
tryagain..."
ThenonedayJonathan,standingontheshore,closinghiseyes,
concentrating,allinaflashknewwhatChianghadbeentellinghim."Why,
that'strue!Iamaperfect,unlimitedgull!"Hefeltagreatshockof
joy.
"Good!"saidChiangandtherewasvictoryinhisvoice.
Jonathanopenedhiseyes.HestoodalonewiththeElderonatotally
differentseashoretreesdowntothewater'sedge,twinyellowsuns
turningoverhead.
"Atlastyou'vegottheidea,"Chiangsaid,"butyourcontrolneedsa
littlework..."
Jonathanwasstunned."Wherearewe?"
Utterlyunimpressedwiththestrangesurroundings,theElderbrushed
thequestionaside."We'reonsomeplanet,obviously,withagreenskyand
adoublestarforasun."
Jonathanmadeascreeofdelight,thefirstsoundhehadmadesince
hehadleftEarth."ITWORKS!"
"Well,ofcourse,itworks,Jon."saidChiang."Italwaysworks,when
youknowwhatyou'redoing.Nowaboutyourcontrol..."
Bythetimetheyreturned,itwasdark.Theothergullslookedat
Jonathanwithaweintheirgoldeneyes,fortheyhadseenhimdisappear
fromwherehehadbeenrootedforsolong.
Hestoodtheircongratulationsforlessthanaminute."I'mthe
newcomerhere!I'mjustbeginning!ItisIwhomustlearnfromyou!"
"Iwonderaboutthat,Jon,"saidSullivanstandingnear."Youhave
lessfearoflearningthananygullI'veseenintenthousandyears."The
Flockfellsilent,andJonathanfidgetedinembarrassment.
"Wecanstartworkingwithtimeifyouwish,"Chiangsaid,"tillyou
canflythepastandthefuture.Andthenyouwillbereadytobeginthe
mostdifficult,themostpowerful,themostfunofall.Youwillbeready
tobegintoflyupandknowthemeaningofkindnessandoflove."
Amonthwentby,orsomethingthatfeltaboutlikeamonth,and
Jonathanlearnedatatremendousrate.Healwayshadlearnedquicklyfrom
ordinaryexperience,andnow,thespecialstudentoftheElderHimself,he
tookinnewideaslikeastreamlinedfeatheredcomputer.
ButthenthedaycamethatChiangvanished.Hehadbeentalking
quietlywiththemall,exhortingthemnevertostoptheirlearningand
theirpracticingandtheirstrivingtounderstandmoreoftheperfect
invisibleprincipleofalllife.Then,ashespoke,hisfeatherswent
brighterandbrighterandatlastturnedsobrilliantthatnogullcould
lookuponhim.
"Jonathan,"hesaid,andthesewerethelastwordsthathespoke,
"keepworkingonlove."
Whentheycouldseeagain,Chiangwasgone.
Asthedayswentpast,Jonathanfoundhimselfthinkingtimeandagain
oftheEarthfromwhichhehadcome.Ifhehadknowntherejustatenth,
justahundredth,ofwhatheknewhere,howmuchmorelifewouldhave
meant!Hestoodonthesandandfelltowonderingiftherewasagullback
therewhomightbestrugglingtobreakoutofhislimits,toseethe
meaningofflightbeyondawayoftraveltogetabreadcrumbfroma
rowboat.PerhapstheremightevenhavebeenonemadeOutcastforspeaking
histruthinthefaceoftheFlock.AndthemoreJonathanpracticedhis
kindnesslessons,andthemoreheworkedtoknowthenatureoflove,the
morehewantedtogobacktoEarth.Forinspiteofhislonelypast,
JonathanSeagullwasborntobeaninstructor,andhisownwayof
demonstratinglovewastogivesomethingofthetruththathehadseento
agullwhoaskedonlyachancetoseetruthforhimself.
Sullivan,adeptnowatthoughtspeedflightandhelpingtheothersto
learn,wasdoubrful.
"Jon,youwereOutcastonce.Whydoyouthinkthatanyofthegulls
inyouroldtimewouldlistentoyounow?Youknowtheproverb,andit's
true:Thegullseesfarthestwhoflieshighest.Thosegullswhereyoucame
fromarestandingontheground,squawkingandfightingamongthemselves.
They'reathousandmilesfromheavenandyousayyouwanttoshowthem
heavenfromwheretheystand!Jon,theycan'tseetheirownwingtips!Stay
here.Helpthenewgullshere,theoneswhoarehighenoughtoseewhat
youhavetotellthem."Hewasquietforamoment,andthenhesaid,"What
ifChianghadgonebacktohisoldworlds?Wherewouldyouhavebeen
today?"
Thelastpointwasthetellingone,andSullivanwasrightThegull
seesfarthestwhoflieshighest.
Jonathanstayedandworkedwiththenewbirdscomingin,whowereall
verybrightandquickwiththeirlessons.Buttheoldfeelingcameback,
andhecouldn'thelpbutthinkthattheremightbeoneortwogullsback
onEarthwhowouldbeabletolearn,too.Howmuchmorewouldhehave
knownbynowifChianghadcometohimonthedaythathewasOutcast!
"Sully,Imustgoback"hesaidatlast"Yourstudentsaredoing
well.Theycanhelpyoubringthenewcomersalong."
Sullivansighed,buthedidnotargue."IthinkI'llmissyou,
Jonathan,"wasallhesaid.
"Sully,forshame!"Jonathansaidinreproach,"anddon'tbefoolish!
Whatarewetryingtopracticeeveryday?Ifourfriendshipdependson
thingslikespaceandtime,thenwhenwefinallyovercomespaceandtime,
we'vedestroyedourownbrotherhood!Butovercomespace,andallwehave
leftisHere.Overcometime,andallwehaveleftisNow.Andinthe
middleofHereandNow,don'tyouthinkthatwemightseeeachotheronce
ortwice?"
SullivanSeagulllaughedinspiteofhimself."Youcrazybird,"he
saidkindly."Ifanybodycanshowsomeoneonthegroundhowtoseea
thousandmiles,itwillbeJonathanLivingstonSeagull."Helookedatthe
sand."Goodbye,Jon,myfriend."
"Goodbye,Sully.We'llmeetagain."Andwiththat,Jonathanheldin
thoughtanimageofthegreatgullflocksontheshoreofanothertime,
andheknewwithpracticedeasethathewasnotboneandfeatherbuta
perfectideaoffreedomandflight,limitedbynothingatall.
FletcherLyndSeagullwasstillquiteyoung,butalreadyheknewthat
nobirdhadeverbeensoharshlytreatedbyanyFlock,orwithsomuch
injustice.
"Idon'tcarewhattheysay,"hethoughtfiercely,andhisvision
blurredasheflewouttowardtheFarCliffs."There'ssomuchmoreto
flyingthanjustflappingaroundfromplacetoplace!A...a...mosquito
doesthat!OnelittlebarrelrollaroundtheElderGull,justforfun,and
I'mOutcast!Aretheyblind?Can'ttheysee?Can'ttheythinkoftheglory
thatit'llbewhenwereallylearntofly?
"Idon'tcarewhattheythink.I'llshowthemwhatflyingis!I'llbe
pureOutlaw,ifthat'sthewaytheywantit.AndI'llmakethemso
sorry..."
Thevoicecameinsidehisownhead,andthoughitwasverygentle,it
startledhimsomuchthathefalteredandstumbledintheair.
"Don'tbeharshonthem,FletcherSeagull.Incastingyouout,the
othergullshaveonlyhurtthemselves,andonedaytheywillknowthis,
andonedaytheywillseewhatyousee.Forgivethem,andhelpthemto
understand."
Aninchfromhisrightwingtipflewthemostbrilliantwhitegullin
alltheworld,glidingeffortlesslyalong,notmovingafeather,atwhat
wasverynearlyFletcher'stopspeed.
Therewasamomentofchaosintheyoungbird."What'sgoingon?AmI
mad?AmIdead?Whatisthis?"
Lowandcalm,thevoicewentonwithinhisthought,demandingan
answer."FletcherLyndSeagull,doyouwanttofly?"
"YES,IWANTTOFLY!".
"FletcherLyndSeagull,doyouwanttoflysomuchthatyouwill
forgivetheFlock,andlearn,andgobacktothemonedayandworktohelp
themknow?"
Therewasnolyingtothismagniflcentskillfulbeing,nomatterhow
proudorhowhurtabirdwasFletcherSeagull.
"Ido"hesaidsoftly.
"Then,Fletch,"thatbrightcreaturesaidtohim,andthevoicewas
verykind,"let'sbeginwithLevelFlight...."
PartThree
JonathancircledslowlyovertheFarCliffs,watching.Thisrough
youngFletcherGullwasverynearlyaperfectflightstudent.Hewas
strongandlightandquickintheair,butfarandawaymoreimportant,he
hadablazingdrivetolearntofly.
Herehecamethisminute,ablurredgrayshaperoaringoutofadive,
flashingonehundredfiftymilesperhourpasthisinstructor.Hepulled
abruptlyintoanothertryatasixteenpointverticalslowroll,calling
thepointsoutloud.
"...eight...nine...ten...seeJonathanl'mrunningoutofairspeed..
eleven...Iwantgoodsharpstopslikeyours...twelve...
butblastitIjustcan'tmake...thirteen...theselastthreepoints...
without...fourtee...aaakk!"
Fletcher'swhipstallatthetopwasalltheworseforhisrageand
furyatfailing.Hefellbackward,tumbled,slammedsavagelyintoan
invertedspin,andrecoveredatlast,panting,ahundredfeetbelowhis
instructor'slevel.
"You'rewastingyourtimewithme,Jonathan!I'mtoodumb!I'mtoo
stupid!Itryandtry,butI'llnevergetit!"
JonathanSeagulllookeddownathimandnodded."You'llnevergetit
forsureaslongasyoumakethatpullupsohard.Fletcher,youlostforty
milesanhourintheentry!Youhavetobesmooth!Firmbutsmooth,
remember?"
Hedroppeddowntotheleveloftheyoungergull."Let'stryit
togethernow,information.Andpayattentiontothatpullup.It'sa
smooth,easyentry."
BytheendofthreemonthsJonathanhadsixotherstudents,Outcasts
all,yetcuriousaboutthisstrangenewideaofflightforthejoyof
flying.
Still,itwaseasierforthemtopracticehighperformancethanit
wastounderstandthereasonbehindit.
"EachofusisintruthanideaoftheGreatGull,anunlimitedidea
offreedom,"Jonathanwouldsayintheeveningsonthebeach,"and
precisionflyingisasteptowardexpressingourrealnature.Everything
thatlimitsuswehavetoputaside.That'swhyallthishighspeed
practice,andlowspeed,andaerobatics...."
...andhisstudentswouldbeasleep,exhaustedfromtheday'sflying.
Theylikedthepractice,becauseitwasfastandexcitinganditfeda
hungerforlearningthatgrewwitheverylesson.Butnotoneofthem,not
evenFletcherLyndGull,hadcometobelievethattheflightofideas
couldpossiblybeasrealastheflightofwindandfeather.
"Yourwholebody,fromwingtiptowingtip,"Jonathanwouldsay,other
times,"isnothingmorethanyourthoughtitself,inaformyoucansee.
Breakthechainsofyourthought,andyoubreakthechainsofyourbody,
too..."Butnomatterhowhesaidit,itsoundedlikepleasantfiction,
andtheyneededmoretosleep.
ItwasonlyamonthlaterthatJonathansaidthetimehadcometo
returntotheFlock.
"We'renotready!"saidHenryCalvinGull."We'renotwelcome!We're
Outcast!Wecan'tforceourselvestogowherewe'renotwelcome,canwe?"
"We'refreetogowherewewishandtobewhatweare,"Jonathan
answered,andheliftedfromthesandandturnedeast,towardthehome
groundsoftheFlock.
Therewasbriefanguishamonghisstudents,foritistheLawofthe
FlockthatanOutcastneverreturns,andtheLawhadnotbeenbrokenonce
intenthousandyears.TheLawsaidstay;Jonathansaidgo;andbynowhe
wasamileacrossthewater.Iftheywaitedmuchlonger,hewouldreacha
hostileFlockalone.
"Well,wedon'thavetoobeythelawifwe'renotapartofthe
Flock,dowe?"Fletchersaid,ratherselfconsciously."Besides,if
there'safightwe'llbealotmorehelptherethanhere."'
Andsotheyflewinfromthewestthatmorning,eightofthemina
doublediamondformation,wingtipsalmostoverlapping.Theycameacross
theFlock'sCouncilBeachatahundredthirtyfivemilesperhour,
Jonathaninthelead.Fletchersmoothlyathisrightwing,HenryCalvin
strugglinggamelyathisleft.Thenthewholeformationrolledslowlyto
theright,asonebird...level...to...inverted...to...level,thewind
whippingoverthemall.
ThesquawksandgrocklesofeverydaylifeintheFlockwerecutoff
asthoughtheformationwereagiantknife,andeightthousandgulleyes
watched,withoutasingleblink.Onebyone,eachoftheeightbirds
pulledsharplyupwardintoafullloopandflewallthewayaroundtoa
deadslowstanduplandingonthesand.Thenasthoughthissortofthing
happenedeveryday,JonathanSeagullbeganhiscritiqueoftheflight.
"Tobeginwith,"hesaidwithawrysmile,"youwereallabitlate
onthejoinup..."
ItwentlikelightningthroughtheFlock.ThosebirdsareOutcast!
Andtheyhavereturned!Andthat...thatcan'thappen!Fletcher's
predictionsofbattlemeltedintheFlock'sconfusion.
"Wellsure,O.K.they'reOutcast,"saidsomeoftheyoungergulls,
"buthey,man,wheredidtheylearntoflylikethat?"
IttookalmostanhourfortheWordoftheEldertopassthroughthe
Flock:Ignorethem.ThegullwhospeakstoanOutcastishimselfOutcast.
ThegullwholooksuponanOutcastbreakstheLawoftheFlock,
GrayfeatheredbackswereturneduponJonathanfromthatmomentonward,
buthedidn'tappeartonotice.Heheldhispracticesessionsdirectly
overtheCouncilBeachandforthefirsttimebeganpressinghisstudents
tothelimitoftheirability.
"MartinGull!"heshoutedacrossthesky."Yousayyouknowlowspeed
flying.Youknownothingtillyouproveit!FLY!"
SoquietlittleMartinWilliamSeagull,startledtobecaughtunder
hisinstructor'sfire,surprisedhimselfandbecameawizardoflow
speeds.Inthelightestbreezehecouldcurvehisfeatherstolifthimself
withoutasingleflapofwingfromsandtocloudanddownagain.
LikewiseCharlesRolandGullflewtheGreatMountainWindto
twentyfourthousandfeet,camedownbluefromthecoldthinair,amazed
andhappy,determinedtogostillhighertomorrow.
FletcherSeagull,wholovedaerobaticslikenooneelse,conquered
hissixteenpointverticalslowrollandthenextdaytoppeditoffwitha
triplecartwheel,hisfeathersflashingwhitesunlighttoabeachfrom
whichmorethanonefurtiveeyewatched.
EveryhourJonathanwasthereatthesideofeachofhisstudents,
demonstrating,suggesting,pressuring,guiding.Heflewwiththemthrough
nightandcloudandstorm,forthesportofit,whiletheFlockhuddled
miserablyontheground.
Whentheflyingwasdone,thestudentsrelaxedinthesand,andin
timetheylistenedmorecloselytoJonathan.Hehadsomecrazyideasthat
theycouldn'tunderstand,butthenhehadsomegoodonesthattheycould.
Gradually,inthenight,anothercircleformedaroundthecircleof
studentsacircleofcuriousgullslisteninginthedarknessforhourson
end,notwishingtoseeorbeseenofoneanother,fadingawaybefore
daybreak.
ItwasamonthaftertheReturnthatthefirstgulloftheFlock
crossedthelineandaskedtolearnhowtofly.Inhisasking,Terrence
LowellGullbecameacondemnedbird,labeledOutcast;andtheeighthof
Jonathan'sstudents.
ThenextnightfromtheFlockcameKirkMaynardGull,wobblingacross
thesand,dragginghisleftwing,tocollapseatJonathan'sfeet."Helpme,"
hesaidveryquietly,speakinginthewaythatthedyingspeak."Iwantto
flymorethananythingelseintheworld..."
"Comealongthen."saidJonathan."Climbwithmeawayfromthe
ground,andwe'llbegin."
"Youdon'tunderstandMywing.Ican'tmovemywing."
"MaynardGull,youhavethefreedomtobeyourself,yourtrueself,
hereandnow,andnothingcanstandinyourway.ItistheLawoftheGreat
Gull,theLawthatIs."
"AreyousayingIcanfly?"
"Isayyouarefree."
Assimplyandasquicklyasthat,KirkMaynardGullspreadhiswings,
effortlessly,andliftedintothedarknightair.TheFlockwasroused
fromsleepbyhiscry,asloudashecouldscreamit,fromfivehundred
feetup:"Icanfly!Listen!ICANFLY!"
Bysunrisetherewerenearlyathousandbirdsstandingoutsidethe
circleofstudents,lookingcuriouslyatMaynard.Theydidn'tcarewhether
theywereseenornot,andtheylistened,tryingtounderstandJonathan
Seagull.
Hespokeofverysimplethingsthatitisrightforaguiltofly,
thatfreedomistheverynatureofhisbeing,thatwhateverstandsagainst
thatfreedommustbesetaside,beitritualorsuperstitionorlimitation
inanyform.
"Setaside,"cameavoicefromthemultitude,"evenifitbetheLaw
oftheFlock?"
"Theonlytruelawisthatwhichleadstofreedom,"Jonathansaid.
"Thereisnoother."
"Howdoyouexpectustoflyasyoufly?"cameanothervoice."You
arespecialandgiftedanddivine,aboveotherbirds."
"LookatFletcher!Lowell!CharlesRoland!JudyLee!Aretheyalso
specialandgiftedanddivine?Nomorethanyouare,nomorethanIam.
Theonlydifference,theveryonlyone,isthattheyhavebegunto
understandwhattheyreallyareandhavebeguntopracticeit."
Hisstudents,saveFletcher,shifteduneasily.Theyhadn'trealized
thatthiswaswhattheyweredoing.
Thecrowdgrewlargereveryday,comingtoquestion,toidolize,to
scorn.
"TheyaresayingintheFlockthatifyouarenottheSonofthe
GreatGullHimself,"FletchertoldJonathanonemorningafterAdvanced
SpeedPractice,"thenyouareathousandyearsaheadofyourtime."
Jonathansighed.Thepriceofbeingmisunderstood,hethought.They
callyoudevilortheycallyougod."Whatdoyouthink,Fletch?Arewe
aheadofourtime?"
Alongsilence."Well,thiskindofflyinghasalwaysbeenheretobe
learnedbyanybodywhowantedtodiscoverit;that'sgotnothingtodo
withtime.We'reaheadofthefashion,maybe,Aheadofthewaythatmost
gullsfly."
"That'ssomething,"Jonathansaidrollingtoglideinvertedfora
while."That'snothalfasbadasbeingaheadofourtime."
Ithappenedjustaweeklater.Fletcherwasdemonstratingthe
elementsofhighspeedflyingtoaclassofnewstudents.Hehadjust
pulledoutofhisdivefromseventhousandfeet,alonggraystreakfiring
afewinchesabovethebeach,whenayoungbirdonitsfirstflightglided
directlyintohispath,callingforitsmother.Withatenthofasecond
toavoidtheyoungster,FletcherLyndSeagullsnappedhardtotheleft,at
somethingovertwohundredmilesperhour,intoacliffofsolidgranite.
Itwas,forhim,asthoughtherockwereagiantharddoorinto
anotherworld.Aburstoffearandshockandblackashehit,andthenhe
wasadriftinastrangestrangesky,forgetting,remembering,forgetting;
afraidandsadandsorry,terriblysorry.
Thevoicecametohimasithadinthefirstdaythathehadmet
JonathanLivingstonSeagull,
"ThetrickFletcheristhatwearetryingtoovercomeourlimitations
inorder,patiently,Wedon'ttackleflyingthroughrockuntilalittle
laterintheprogram."
"Jonathan!".
"AlsoknownastheSonoftheGreatGull"hisinstructorsaiddryly,
"Whatareyoudoinghere?Thecliff!Haven'tIdidn'tI..,die?"
"Oh,Fletch,comeon.Think.Ifyouaretalkingtomenow,then
obviouslyyoudidn'tdie,didyou?Whatyoudidmanagetodowastochange
yourlevelofconsciousnessratherabruptly.It'syourchoicenow.Youcan
stayhereandlearnonthislevelwhichisquiteabithigherthanthe
oneyouleft,bythewayoryoucangobackandkeepworkingwiththe
Flock.TheElderswerehopingforsomekindofdisaster,butthey're
startledthatyouobligedthemsowell."
"IwanttogobacktotheFlock,ofcourse.I'vebarelybegunwith
thenewgroup!"
"Verywell,Fletcher.Rememberwhatweweresayingaboutone'sbody
beingnothingmorethanthoughtitself....?"
Fletchershookhisheadandstretchedhiswingsandopenedhiseyes
atthebaseofthecliff,inthecenterofthewholeFlockassembled.
Therewasagreatclamorofsquawksandscreesfromthecrowdwhenfirst
hemoved.
"Helives!Hethatwasdeadlives!"
"Touchedhimwithawingtip!Broughthimtolife!TheSonofthe
GreatGull!"
"No!Hedeniesit!He'sadevil!DEVIL!CometobreaktheFlock!"
Therewerefourthousandgullsinthecrowd,frightenedatwhathad
happened,andthecryDEVIL!wentthroughthemlikethewindofanocean
storm.Eyesglazed,beakssharp,theyclosedintodestroy.
"Wouldyoufeelbetterifweleft,Fletcher?"askedJonathan.
"Icertainlywouldn'tobjecttoomuchifwedid..."
Instantlytheystoodtogetherahalfmileaway,andtheflashing
beaksofthemobclosedonemptyair.
"Whyisit,"Jonathanpuzzled,"thatthehardestthingintheworld
istoconvinceabirdthatheisfree,andthathecanproveitfor
himselfifhe'djustspendalittletimepracticing?Whyshouldthatbeso
hard?"
Fletcherstillblinkedfromthechangeofscene."Whatdidyoujust
do?Howdidwegethere?"
"Youdidsayyouwantedtobeoutofthemob,didn'tyou?"
"Yes!Buthowdidyou..."
"Likeeverythingelse,Fletcher.Practice."BymorningtheFlockhad
forgottenitsinsanity,butFletcherhadnot."Jonathan,rememberwhatyou
saidalongtimeago,aboutlovingtheFlockenoughtoreturntoitand
helpitlearn?"
"Sure."
"Idon'tunderstandhowyoumanagetoloveamobofbirdsthathas
justtriedtokillyou."
"Oh,Fletch,youdon'tlovethat!Youdon'tlovehatredandevil,of
course.Youhavetopracticeandseetherealgull,thegoodineveryone
ofthem,andtohelpthemseeitinthemselves.That'swhatImeanby
love.It'sfun,whenyougettheknackofit.
"Irememberafierceyoungbirdforinstance,FletcherLyndSeagull,
hisname.JustbeenmadeOutcast,readytofighttheFlocktothedeath,
gettingastartonbuildinghisownbitterhelloutontheFarCliffs.And
hereheistodaybuildinghisownheaveninstead,andleadingthewhole
Flockinthatdirection."
Fletcherturnedtohisinstructor,andtherewasamomentoffright
inhiseye."Meleading?Whatdoyoumean,meleading?You'rethe
instructorhere.Youcouldn'tleave!"
"Couldn'tI?Don'tyouthinkthattheremightbeotherflocks,other
Fletchers,thatneedaninstructormorethanthisone,that'sonitsway
towardthelight?"
"Me?Jon,I'mjustaplainseagullandyou're..."
"...theonlySonoftheGreatGull,Isuppose?"Jonathansighedand
lookedouttosea."Youdon'tneedmeanylonger.Youneedtokeepfinding
yourself,alittlemoreeachday,thatreal,unlimitedFletcherSeagull.
He'syourinstructor.Youneedtounderstandhimandtopracticehim."
AmomentlaterJonathan'sbodywaveredintheair,shimmering,and
begantogotransparent."Don'tletthemspreadsillyrumorsaboutme,or
makemeagod.O.K.,Fletch?I'maseagull.Iliketofly,maybe..."
"JONATHAN!"
"PoorFletch.Don'tbelievewhatyoureyesaretellingyou.Allthey
showislimitation.Lookwithyourunderstanding,findoutwhatyou
alreadyknow,andyou'llseethewaytofly."
Theshimmeringstopped.JonathanSeagullhadvanishedintoemptyair.
Afteratime,FletcherGulldraggedhimselfintotheskyandfaceda
brandnewgroupofstudents,eagerfortheirfirstlesson.
"Tobeginwith"hesaidheavily,"you'vegottounderstandthata
seagullisanunlimitedideaoffreedom,animageoftheGreatGull,and
yourwholebody,fromwingtiptowingtip,isnothingmorethanyour
thoughtitself."
Theyounggullslookedathimquizzically.Hey,man,theythought,
thisdoesn'tsoundlikearuleforaloop.
Fletchersighedandstartedover."Hm.Ah...verywell,"hesaid,and
eyedthemcritically."Let'sbeginwithLevelFlight."Andsayingthat,he
understoodallatoncethathisfriendhadquitehonestlybeennomore
divinethanFletcherhimself.
Nolimits,Jonathan?hethought.Well,then,thetime'snotdistant
whenI'mgoingtoappearoutofthinaironyourbeach,andshowyoua
thingortwoaboutflying!
Andthoughhetriedtolookproperlysevereforhisstudents,
FletcherSeagullsuddenlysawthemallastheyreallywere,justfora
moment,andhemorethanliked,helovedwhathesaw.Nolimits,Jonathan?
hethought,andhesmiled.Hisracetolearnhadbegun.
1973
TheNewYorkTimes,July3,1974
DesMoines,Iowa,July2JohnH.Livingston,themanwho
inspiredthebestsellingnovel"JonathanLivingstonSeagull,"
diedSundayatthePompanoBeach(Fla.)Airportsoonafter
completinghislastplaneride.
RichardBach,aformerIowaAirGuardpilot,hassaidhis
bestsellingbookaboutafreewheelingseagullwasinspiredby
Mr.Livingston.
JohnnyLivingston,ashewasknown,movedmanyyearsago
fromIowatoFlorida.Hewasoneofthecountry'stoppilots
duringthebarnstormingdaysofthenineteentwentiesandthir
ties.
From1928through1933,Mr.Livingstonwon79first
places,43secondsand15thirdsin139racesthroughoutthe
country,manyofthematCleveland.Hewonfirstplaceand
$13,910in1928inacrosscountryracefromNewYorktoLos
Angeles.
Mr.Livingstonleaveshiswife,Wavelle,twobrothersand
foursisters.
:126,Lastmodified:Sun,23Oct200520:10:29GMT
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