|
AESOP'S FABLES
The Eagle and the Beetle
An Eagle was once chasing a Hare across a meadow. The hare
was terrified and didn’t know what to do to save herself
except run.
Suddenly she saw a little Beetle among the tall grass
flying past and paused: “Please, dear Beetle, help me get away
from the Eagle,” the Hare pleaded, hoping for some aid from
the tiny insect.
The Beetle readily agreed to help. Taking a deep breath and
puffing out his chest, he got ready to face the eagle as the
bird swooped down towards his prey.
“Don’t you dare touch the Hare!” shouted the Beetle to the
Eagle.
But the Eagle did not notice the insect, much less hear his
tiny voice . She went right ahead and attacked her prey,
gobbling the Hare up. |
|
The Beetle’s pride was hurt. He never forgot the
incident.
He wanted to get back at the Eagle, and in a devious plan decided
to destroy the Eagle’s eggs as soon as they were hatched.
Each time the Eagle laid an egg, the Beetle would make his way to
the nest, roll the egg out and then drop it to the ground.
This carried on for a while, till the distressed Eagle went to
Jupiter, the special protector of eagles, for help. Begging him to
give her a safe place to nest in she said, “Please protect my young
ones."
“You can lay your eggs in my lap,” replied Jupiter kindly.
But the Beetle noticed this too. He made a ball the size of an
Eagle’s egg, flew up to Jupiter’s lap and placed it there along with
the eggs.
When Jupiter saw the dirt, he was surprised to see it there and
stood up to shake it off his lap.
But along with the dirt, out flew all the Eagle's eggs as well,
crashing to the ground.
It is fabled that from then on, because of this, Eagles never lay
their eggs in the season of the Beetles.
Moral:
You're never so small that you're insignificant...
Aesop, The Eagle and the
Beetle
|
