Once upon a time, a baby eagle lived in a nest on a cliff overlooking a beautiful valley. The nest was his entire world—warm, comfortable, and safe. His mother provided him with all the food, love, and care he needed. She would swoop down daily with delicious morsels, and he grew strong and sharp-sighted.
One day, his mother stopped coming. The eaglet was terrified and hungry, convinced he would die. He cried and pleaded, but no one answered.
Then, his mother reappeared at the cliff's edge with food. "Come and get it," she said. The eaglet, angry and confused, asked, "How?" She flew away, leaving him alone.
Days later, as the eaglet despaired, his mother returned with what she called his "last meal." After he ate and complained, she pushed him out of the nest.
He fell headfirst, picking up speed, screaming that he was dying. The ground rushed toward him.
Suddenly, the air caught under his wings, snapping them open. He felt a strange new sensation. He was no longer falling—he was soaring, his eyes pointed at the sun.
"You're flying," his mother said.
"This is fun!" laughed the eaglet as he soared, dived, and swooped through the sky.