An Eagle, swooping down on powerful
wings, seized a lamb in her talons and
made off with it to her nest. A Jackdaw(a bird closely related to Coleus but smaller than ravens n crows)
saw the deed, and his silly head was
flled with the idea that he was big and
strong enough to do as the Eagle had
done. So with much rustling of feathers
and a ferce air, he came down swiftly on
the back of a large Ram. But when he
tried to rise again he found that he could
not get away, for his claws were tangled
in the wool. And so far was he from
carrying away the Ram, that the Ram
hardly noticed he was there.
The Shepherd saw the futtering
Jackdaw and at once guessed what had
happened. Running up, he caught the
bird and clipped its wings. That evening
he gave the Jackdaw to his children.
“What a funny bird this is!” they said
laughing, “what do you call it, father?”
“That is a Jackdaw, my children. But if you should ask him, he would say he is an
Eagle.”
Moral: Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.
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