GIFT OF THE EAGLE
One day, a farmer found a young eagle. The eagle was badly wounded and was lying by the side of the road.
The farmer took the eagle home with him, cared for his wounds, and then gave him a home with the chickens. After eating, sleeping, and living with the chickens, the eagle soon became one of them.
A Wise One of many winters heard of this eagle. He came to visit the farmer and asked if he could return the eagle to his rightful heritage. The farmer agreed to let him try, but said, “His body may be the body of an eagle, but his heart is now the heart of a chicken.”
The Wise One placed the eagle upon his arm and spoke to him.
“MY BROTHER, YOU ARE AN EAGLE, WITH THE MIGHTY HEART OF AN EAGLE. RETURN NOW TO YOUR RIGHTFUL HERITAGE.”
The eagle, seeing the chickens feeding, jumped onto the ground, and he too, began feeding.
The next morning, the Wise One returned and asked to try a second time. He took the eagle behind the farmhouse where the chickens could not be seen. Again, he placed the eagle upon his arm and said,
“MY BROTHER, YOU ARE AN EAGLE, WITH THE MIGHTY HEART OF AN EAGLE. RETURN NOW TO YOUR RIGHTFUL HERITAGE.”
But, hearing the chickens, the eagle jumped onto the ground and ran across it to where the chickens were feeding. He, too, began feeding.
The third morning, the Wise One again returned and asked if he might try one last time. He then took the eagle far away from the farmhouse, and journeyed to the base of a high mountain.
The sun was just rising and casting its glorious beams upon the awakening earth. The Wise One placed the eagle upon his arm and said,
“MY BROTHER, YOU ARE AN EAGLE, WITH THE MIGHTY HEART OF AN EAGLE. RETURN NOW TO YOUR RIGHTFUL HERITAGE.”
The eagle trembled inside as if something long forgotten was beginning to stir. But, he did not fly.
Then, the Wise One raised his arm high above his head and faced the eagle directly toward Grandfather Sun.
With a mighty stir within his heart, and a mighty beating of his great wings, the eagle raised his body into flight. He flew directly toward the face of Grandfather Sun.
The Wise One watched as the eagle stopped high above the earth, began to slowly circle, and then pluck a white feather from beneath his breast.
The eagle waited until the feather floated to where the Wise One was standing. He then gave a mighty cry, and disappeared from the sky.
The Wise One knew this was the eagle’s gift to all who would look toward the light within and leave the past behind.
JIGSAW PUZZLE
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