Who Am I? – “One day a young naturalist who was passing by a farm, inquired of the owner why it was that an Eagle, the King of all birds, would be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens.
“Since I have given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it has never learned to fly,” replied the owner. “It behaves as chickens behave, so, it is no longer an Eagle.” “Still,” insisted the naturalist, “it has the heart of an Eagle and can be taught to fly.” Gently the naturalist took the Eagle in his arms and said,,
“You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly.”
The Eagle, however, was confused; he did not know who he was. Seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again.
Undismayed, the naturalist took the Eagle on the following day up on the roof of the house and urge him again, saying, “You are an Eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” But the Eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food.
On the third day the naturalist rose early and took the Eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the King of birds high above him and encourage him again, saying “You are an Eagle. You belong to the sky as well as the earth. Stretch forth your wings now and fly.”
The Eagle looked back towards the barnyard and up to the sky. Still he did not fly. Then the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the Eagle began to tremble; slowly he stretched his wings. At last, with a triumphant cry he soared into the heavens.
It may be that the Eagle still remembers the chickens with nostalgia; it may even be that he occasionally revisits the barnyard, But as far as anyone knows, he has never returned to lead the life of a chicken.
” HE IS AN EAGLE”
By Jerry Fankhauser
