The Eagle and the Tree

Here’s a little fable.

Once upon a time, on the edge of a thick forest, grew a great tree. It was deeply, firmly planted and its roots dug into the soil for centuries. Each year, its branches reached further, and its leaves became denser. Many animals found shelter under its limbs and rested in its shade. On the top of the tree perched a mighty eagle. The eagle could see the entire forest from its perch. It kept an especially close eye on the animals playing under the big tree.

Sometimes a hungry bear, or even a dragon, would lurk near the edge of the forest to attack the smaller animals. But each time they got too close, the eagle swooped down and pecked at the bear’s eyes and dragged its great talons across the dragon’s face. In a flurry of feathers, they would retreat to the depths of the forest and nurse their injuries. They hated the eagle. They hated its tree.

One day, two animals that lived and played under the tree squinted at the eagle through the thick foliage. “Why does the eagle get to rest on the top of the tree, and we have to sit down at the bottom where there’s no sunshine?” complained the donkey.

“Quite right,” said the elephant. “It’s positively oppressive down here. We should be at the top instead of that bird.”

“Let’s climb the tree!” said the donkey.

The elephant looked at the tree longingly. It would be nice to be at the top. To look down on all the silly animals on the forest floor.

“I’ll climb on your back,” said the donkey, “and you pull down a branch with your trunk. Then I’ll grab it with my teeth.”

So the elephant pushed his enormous body against the tree and the donkey climbed on his back. But when the donkey grabbed the branch with his huge donkey teeth, it broke and he tumbled off the elephant’s back.

“Here,” said the elephant, “You stand on this broken branch, and I’ll get on your back and wrap my trunk around the tree and pull myself up.”

The donkey carefully stepped on the branch and groaned as the elephant climbed on his back.

But this plan only cracked more branches. Frustrated, the elephant and the donkey began shaking the tree. More branches broke and fell.

The crafty bear had been watching from the edge of the forest.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“We’re trying to get to the top of the tree,” said the donkey and the elephant. “It would be grand to sit at the top, above all the animals.”

“Ah,” said the bear, “That is an excellent idea. I will help you if you distract the eagle, so it does not bother me.”

So the donkey made up lies about the elephant and the elephant made up lies about the donkey. The bear spread the lies among the other animals below the tree. They began to argue about which one was lying and soon there was such commotion that the bear was able to climb partway up the tree. He tore at the branches with his claws and flung them to the ground.

The pile of branches became a tangled stack, and again the donkey and elephant tried to climb the stack to reach the top of the tree. But their feet got stuck between the branches and they fell down.

“What’s all this?” said the dragon, slinking out of the shadows.

“We’re trying to get to the top of the tree where the eagle sits,” said the donkey and the elephant. “It’s so dark down here. And everyone is always fighting. We’re obviously meant to be at the top.”

“I see,” said the dragon. “I will help you. You need leaves to cover the pile of branches so you can climb to the top.” The dragon opened its mouth and blew a fiery blast. The shiny green leaves began to shrivel and turn many colors: red, yellow, black, and white. They fluttered to the ground in such great heaps that the elephant cried, “Stop! Stop!”

But it was too late. The once beautiful tree was stark and mangled. The animals that had played safely beneath its boughs were gone. Even the eagle had spread its wings and soared into the sky.

“What have we done?” the donkey said. “Now we cannot climb the tree at all!”

The dragon and the bear laughed, “You stupid animals. What will save you from us now?” And they drove the elephant and the donkey deep into the dark forest.

As they fled, the donkey and the elephant cried, “Help, Eagle! Help us! We are your friends!”

But the eagle could not hear them. It had flown far, far away.

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There’s a moral here.

Maybe this will help:

https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-says-wants-work-joe-biden-claims-shared-values-between-democrats-communism-1537501

Vote wisely. And as far from the dragon and the bear as you can get.