The power of prayer.

A family received a parrot. 

“Such parrots can learn to talk,” said the new owners. 

At first, the bird sat for a while stifling, and then, having a little knowledge of all the family members, it chose a friend for itself. 

And this friend was a grandmother. Maybe because she had been around all day and, purely old-fashioned, was happy to tell the parrot about her business. 

With these conversations, the old woman seemed to consult with the parrot, she asked it questions, although she did not even hope to get answers to them. It was just important for her that she was being listened to. And the parrot listened carefully. 

And every evening before going to bed she prayed. 

Her lips silently whispered a prayer, so softly that the parrot always bowed its head, as if trying to remember these words. 

Then the old woman came up to the parrot, stroked it and said: 

- Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and save us.

These words were the last chord of the day. 

Then one day it happened that after the old woman had cleaned the cage, she forgot to lock the door. 

The parrot, holding the door by its beak, shook it, but the old woman, busy with affairs, did not pay attention to it. 

And the parrot decided to fly out. After all, the window is open, and from there so many bird voices can be heard. And carefully out of the cage it flew out the window. 

The sky was beckoning, and the parrot, without thinking twice, darted high. 

The old woman, hearing an incomprehensible noise behind her back, looked around and threw up her hands: 

- Oh no! What to do?

And the parrot in the first seconds thoughtlessly enjoyed freedom. But here, out of nowhere, a hawk appeared and promptly rushed to the parrot. The parrot did not have time to understand how the hawk caught it and began to carry it to the mountains. 

The frightened parrot  hoarsely shouted what it remembered most of all: 

- Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and save us. 

Surprised the hawk released the parrot, and it, without hesitation, rushed to the cherished window, away from danger. 

It sat down on the window sill and said loudly and clearly: 

- Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and save us. 

The old woman observing this crossed herself. 

She later told this story to Rev. Ambrose of Optina. 

The father smiled and said:

- Such is the power of prayer. So the bird uttered it thoughtlessly. And what if thoughtfully with faith? Then not even the most terrible vultures in life are terrible.