# The Parable of the Adopted Eagle



## TEXASCRITTER (Sep 17, 2006)

Once, there was a blizzard high in the mountains. An eagle's nest, near the summit, was broken open on one side by a sudden blast of wind. A single eagle's egg fell out and slid down the side of the mountain on the snow. Miraculously, it was not broken as it careened down rocky slopes all the way into the valley below. It came to rest, unscathed, in the tall grass near a nest of prairie chickens. The prairie chicken mother noticed it lying there and, thinking it was one of her own that had fallen out, picked it up and put it in her nest. This eagle was raised as a prairie chicken. He was never very happy. An eagle makes a lousy prairie chicken. The other prairie chickens thought him funny looking, odd, and inferior.

One day when the little eagle and his prairie chicken siblings were out playing, chasing bugs in the grass, a huge shadow fell over the land. They all looked up and saw the majestic sight of an eagle soaring so high that you almost could not lean your head back far enough to see her. One of his "brothers" said, "I see that look in your eyes. You could never fly like that. The eagle is the greatest of all the birds. YOU ARE A PRAIRIE CHICKEN."

For a moment, the little eagle thought he would bestir himself and bolt up out of the prairie chicken world and do great aerial exploits with the eagles. Then the thought passed. "You're right," he said. "I'm just a prairie chicken." So he lived out the rest of his miserable life as a prairie chicken.

Do not let the prairie chickens tell you that you are not an eagle! Be an eagle! Bolt up out of the prairie chicken world and soar high!


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## BulgarianPrincess (Sep 16, 2006)

That is a good story. Reminds me of that quote "be a first rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else"


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2006)

A harsh ending for the eagle, but the story makes a valid point...."Don't be something you're not, you'll only hold yourself back."


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## dora (Apr 21, 2006)

Nice story! good point opcorn


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## whiteclouds (Mar 18, 2004)

Great story! I love symbolic tales involving animals. They make a strong impact. Although, I would have prefered if the eagle proved them all wrong and soared in the sky.

This reminds me of the novel, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach. It used to be required literature for some high schools in the 1970s, but sadly, there's not too many young people who have heard of this book today. It's a symbolic story about a seagull (Jonathan) who defied his flock and learned to do amazing flight stunts in the sky. Then, he meets up with a philosopher who teaches him that literally anything is possible with the power of the mind. Jonathan continues to advance to higher worlds until he becomes a master too, and he spends the rest of his life teaching other young seagulls to live to their greatest potential. The story is very inspirational.


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