The Peasant and the Eagle

 The Peasant and the Eagle

    One day, a poor farmer was walking along the road toward town when he saw an eagle trapped in a cage. "What a fine bird this is," he thought. "It's a shame that this powerful creature is in a cage." With that, he lifted the latch of the cage, opened the door, and watched the eagle soar toward the sky.

    A few weeks later, the peasant left his home before dawn, pulling a heavy wagon filled with sacks of flour. He carried a bundle on his head that contained his lunch and a few coins. After several hours, he stopped by a tall stone wall and decided to rest. He sat down and leaned back against the wall. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

    Suddenly, the peasant heard a shrieking noise, and before he knew it, his bundle was being snatched from his head. He looked up, and high above he spotted the eagle, holding his bundle in its sharp talons.

    With a surprised expression, the peasant watched the eagle fly a few yards away and drop the bundle to the ground. Feeling very confused, he ran toward it. "That bundle holds all the coins I own!" he shouted at the eagle. About the same time, the wall came crashing down behind him, shaking the very ground where he stood.

    The peasant was stunned for a moment. Then, when he realized that the eagle had saved his life, he was full of gratitude.