13 Apr Why Eagles Fly High
Why Eagles Fly High is told to encourage people to develop their skills and be the best they can be.
Why Eagles Fly High
In a town far away, there lived a very skilled sculptor known as Akhemahad. He was well known for his craft all around his community. The man was so good that any good sculpture work that was seen in his community was immediately traced back to him as the maker.
His son, Edarais, was very passionate about the art of sculpturing, so his father made sure that he taught the young man how to sculpt; together, they were doing very well in the business. They were too good that they had no rivals in the entire community.
However, Akhemahad had other sons. One day his last son, Edera, decided to follow his father to the market for materials that he wanted to use for his latest project. As they were going, Akhemahad ran into his old friend.
“Ahielenkpen!” His friend called out, and the two friends shook hands. “My goodness, it is so good to see you. Ahielenkpen, Ahielenkpen, you haven’t aged one bit!” His old-time friend continued saying. They spoke for a few minutes and then went their separate ways.
After they left, Edera asked his father, “Father, what is the meaning of Ahielenkpen?” He asked.
“Oh, that is an old nickname that some of my colleagues gave me back in school. It means, ‘the Eagle’.” Akhemahad said.
“Eagle?! Father, why Eagle?” The young curious boy asked.
“Well, my son, it’s because the Eagle can fly higher than any other bird. It also possesses other qualities that other birds do not have. So they gave me that name because, to them, I am different from other sculptors in my time.”
“That is really nice Dad!” The young boy had wide eyes, and they showed that he was really interested in the conversation.
“But Father, I have a question to ask.”
“Okay, go ahead and ask.”
“Why do Eagles fly higher than other birds?”
Akhemahad smiled and then said, “I will tell you the story, my son. When the Creator was done creating each animal, before moving on to the next animal, he allowed them to make a request and he will grant it.”
The young boy didn’t care that they were on the pathway leading to the market. He was engrossed with the story and forgot about his surroundings.
“So what happened next?” He asked.
“Well, after the Creator was done creating the Eagle, the Eagle made his request.” Akhemahad stopped to soak in the look on his son’s face. He loved it so much that he was passionate about stories; that was one of the ways they connected. But it didn’t stop him from putting suspense in his stories. It encouraged him.
“What was the Eagle’s request, Father?!” The young boy couldn’t wait anymore. The suspense was slowly driving him insane. Finally, his father continued the story.
“The Eagle requested that the Creator should make him the bird that can fly higher than the other birds.”
“And what did the Creator say?” The boy asked, eager to get his answers.
“Well, the Creator agreed to make the Eagle the only bird that can fly higher than all the other birds. But, the Creator told the Eagle that the gift wasn’t hereditary, meaning that the Eagle would have to continuously train his children to also fly higher than all the other birds.”
“Wow,” the young boy exclaimed.
“Yes, my son. And since that day, the Eagle has consciously been training her Eaglets to fly higher than other birds.”
“How did the Eagle do this, Father?” The young boy asked.
“Well, the Eagle started by ensuring that she lays her eggs in a nest on top of the tree in the community. She laid her birds on this tree, incubated them, and hatched them. When she saw that they were grown enough to be able to fly, the tallest tree would become the lowest base,” Akhemahad said.
“And then what would the Eagle do?” Edera asked.
“Well, every morning, she would take her Eaglets to the edge of the tree and push them out. The Eagle would stay from afar and watch as the Eaglets fly. If they can’t fly well at first, she would fly down to them, catch them and take them back home. The Eagle kept doing this until the Eaglets would learn to fly on their own.”
After Akhemahad was done telling his story, he told his son to start developing his skill early so that he would be better than him in the family business, which is carving and structuring.
Moral Lesson
Never give up on life. Keep good company and be good to everyone around you. Develop your skills at an early stage.
More folktale, folklore, and fable
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