After reading this book I think it is necessary to share the old legend to everybody .

　　There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to out- carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain …

　　Meggie Cleary is just like the bird,and Ralph is her superlative song.

　　I read the book then watched the movie, both of them gave me great shock, I really admire Meggie,she had the courage to use her whole life to love Ralph, never gave up. She believed that she would love Ralph only in her life. But I don’t like Meggie’s attitude to love, Ralph is a Father, and he mustn’t love Meggie, they really loved each other, but they are not destined to be together. So in my opinion I think Meggie should give in, she shouldn’t fight with God, Ralph had told her he would serve God forever, so Meggie wouldn’t win. Maybe giving up is a good choice. Their love is painful.

　　Tell the turth I don’t like Meggie neither Ralph, Ralph could not give Meggie happniess while Meggie couldn’t support Ralph to concentrate on his work. So they would not have happy life, they only made each other feel sad .

　　Frank is my favorite role. he was short but strong ,and he was one of the main labor in his family. He didn’t want to be a shepherd, but the family needed him , and he must feed he the sheep so that everybody in his family can live better. Once he escaped from home , but it wassn’t long before his father found him and take him home. I feel so sorry that he had a miserable fate. He longed for freedom but most of his life didn’t belong to himself, it’s really a pity .

　　Frank was different to every man in their home, he loved his mother deeply, and he always helped his mother do the housework. he dreamed to be an outstanding boxer. Frank was considerable, and he always try his best to make Meggie feel happy. As Meggie’s oldest brother, he could be worried about Meggie’s favorite doll, and he even tried to fixed the doll which was distroyed by Meggie’s other brothers. Frank and Meggie would always tell each other what they thought in their deep heart , and they are close friends.

　　I was so sad when I learned that Frank killed a man and he was sent to the prision. It is really a big shock to Meggie, for Frank was the only one who can listen to Meggie’s secrets. She thought she lost Frank forever. I cannot imagine how painful for Frank to spend dozens years in the prision. He once had good dream about his life, but he had to waste most of his life in prision. In my opinion it was Frank’s father that distoryed his life. His father didn’ t give him freedom, and Frank can’t had strong resistance spirits, and because he didn’t control himself and broke the law.The energitic Frank will never come to us, and he became a man who didn’t wanna talk. He began to be afraid of the world…it is really a pity.

　　As for Meggie, I think she was a good girl. She was beautiful and smart, but she it was wrong for her to love Ralph. Meggie was an excellent girl, she was able to find an outstanding boy to love her, but she put all her love on Ralph even she married Luke. She married Luke just because Luke looked like Ralph. Meggie wanna be a thorn bird, but I think it was too cruel to her. She was so kind that she shouldn’t stand that king of pain, and I think she was born to have a happy life. I pity for her.

　　Both the story of thorn birds and the legend are painful and beautiful, but not every one can be the thorn birds, because it is not our porpose to have a painful life. We are born to be happy. Olny happiness is the ture meaning of life while the story was written for us to enrich our life. It is a wonderful story.