Nothing But the Truth: The Tables of Fate Will Turn

An eagle was perched on a branch regally watching the setting sun. His ever watchful keen eyes were looking for a last minute meal before dusk. It was the time of day for all birds and animals to take refuge for the night. While he was gazing into the horizon, a buzzard flew into the same tree, and perched on a branch near the eagle. They started talking to one another about their past hunts. The buzzard boasted of eating well on the carcass of unfortunate animals, claiming that it was the hand of God making provision for him. “Just yesterday”, said the buzzard,“I feasted upon a deer. The meat was so tender and I still feel quite full.” The eagle felt insulted that the buzzard claimed to be a hunter. He said, “You are nothing more than a scavenger, buzzards don’t hunt; you only eat the remains of animals. You rely only upon the skill and expertise of hunters like me.” And so, the eagle boasted about how well he ate; He thought himself to be better than the buzzard because of his great craft in hunting and catching prey. They went on and on, each boasting of the others virtues.

Dusk was approaching on this hot summer day. It had been dry with very little rain. The ground, normally green and dense during the rainy season, was scarce and almost brown. With little ground cover, the smaller animals were an easy target. They watched as the prairie dogs scampered around playing near the large tree where the eagle and buzzard had come to roost. The two of them just sat there watching the sun slowly dissolve into the horizon. An owl had awaken and made his presence known to the two large birds. He had been listening to them on a branch near the top of the tree. He had no need to engage them in their senseless conversation, besides he was hungry. He saw a small mouse and swooped down effortlessly to catch his prey.

This gave the eagle a great idea. He would show the buzzard, once and for all, that his skills in hunting were far superior. He looked around for an opportunity, but the prairie dogs were not much of challenge for the eagle. If he was patient, the right opportunity would come.

Soon a flock of quail was seen coming home to roost in a thicket near some large rocks. It was a safe place where few predators would harm them. The thorny bristles on the thicket branches were enough to discourage large animal from entering the thick brush. They watched the flock of quail make their approach. Some of the quail were slower than the rest. The eagle spied an opportunity and said to the buzzard, “Watch, I will show you what I can do. You watched the owl catch the mouse, but it is easy to catch a mouse on the ground. I bet the owl wouldn’t be as successful as me catching another bird in flight.” The eagle took flight soaring upward into the air, circling with the current of the evening breeze. Then he careened very quickly to catch a quail just before it joined the others in the thicket. The quail sensing its peril, swerved at the time the eagle’s talons caught the tip of its wings, but it wasn’t good enough, the eagle crashed into the rock, while the quail dove into the thicket.

The eagle was hurt badly and was unable to move its broken wing. He laid there helpless. The buzzard watching the whole scene came to join the eagle on the rock. He said, “See, I told you all I have to do is to wait for the provision of the gods. Now I have my evening meal.” The eagle said, “Please, I don’t want you to eat me.” The buzzard replied, “You boasted well of what you could do with your own strength and skill, now your strength and skill can’t save you”. The buzzard began his enjoying his evening meal.

There are many lessons to learn from this story.

The first lesson, “a person, who thinks too highly of his/herself, will soon be humbled”.

The second lesson: “Every person must recognize the gifts and talents with which they have been blessed—God gives to each equally-but not the same.”

The third lesson: “If a man shows off, some day something will bring out his secrets, and all shall see”

The last lesson: “The tables of fate will soon turn”

The Eagle and the Buzzard © 2004 By Joyce Morrow Jones STORIES ARE FOREVER, INC. Adapted from the Aesop’s Fables “Eagle and the Buzzard”