The Eagle and the Arrow
Story by: Aesop
Source: Aesop's Fables
High above a mountain valley, a magnificent eagle soared on powerful wings, master of all he surveyed. His keen eyes could spot the smallest movement far below, and his sharp talons could snatch prey with deadly precision. For years, he had ruled the skies unchallenged, the undisputed king of his domain.
One fateful day, as the eagle glided over a meadow searching for food, a hunter below spotted him and took careful aim with his bow. The hunter was skilled, and his arrow flew straight and true, striking the great bird in the chest.
The wounded eagle plummeted to the earth, his powerful wings no longer able to carry him. As he lay dying, struggling to understand what had brought about his downfall, he noticed something that filled him with bitter irony.
The arrow that had pierced his heart was fletched with feathers - his own feathers, gleaming bronze and gold, feathers that had fallen during his molting seasons and been collected by humans.
“Alas,” whispered the dying eagle, “I am slain by an arrow winged with my own plumes. How bitter it is to be destroyed by that which once gave me the power of flight.”
Moral: We often contribute to our own downfall. The very gifts that make us strong can be turned against us if we are not careful how we use them or where we let them fall.
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