The Eagle and the Arrow
Large text for little eyes.
High above the mountains soared Eddie the Eagle; fast, fearless, and full of himself.
He loved hearing the wind whoosh past his feathers and seeing his reflection shimmer in the lake below.
“Look at me, the King of the Sky!” he squawked.
The smaller birds rolled their eyes. “Here comes Eddie again,” groaned Sparky the sparrow.
Eddie wasn’t mean, just terribly proud. He even practiced landing poses in case anyone was watching.
“Perfect as always,” he’d say, fluffing his chest.
But one day, his sky-high pride was about to take a funny tumble.
The Arrow with a Secret
Down below, a hunter aimed his bow.
“Let’s see if I can match that bird’s speed,” he muttered, nocking an arrow.
The arrow was special; it had beautiful brown feathers Eddie had shed the week before.
Eddie circled above, showing off his loops and flips. “Bet you can’t hit me!” he teased from the clouds.
The hunter released the string. WHOOSH!
The arrow flew faster than Eddie’s bragging words!
It zipped through the air and, plink!—clipped Eddie’s wing just enough to make him wobble wildly like a spinning feather pillow.
“Yowch! My perfect feathers!” Eddie yelped, spiraling down to a branch.
A Feathery Realization
Eddie flapped his wings and looked at the arrow stuck beside him.
Then he froze.
The arrow’s tail feathers… looked familiar.
They were his own!
“My own feathers? Helping an arrow hit me? Oh, the betrayal!” he gasped dramatically.
From a nearby tree, Sparky the sparrow burst out laughing. “Guess your feathers finally wanted some downtime!”
Even Eddie couldn’t help but giggle through his embarrassment. “I suppose I’ve been flying a little too high on my own praise.”
He puffed out his feathers, then stopped. “Well… maybe I’ll puff them just a little.”
The Lesson in the Laugh
By evening, Eddie perched beside Sparky, watching the sunset paint the sky gold.
“You know,” Eddie said, “being king of the sky is nice, but it’s better when others laugh with you, not at you.”
Sparky nodded. “Exactly! You don’t have to fly higher than everyone, fly happy.”
Eddie smiled, spreading his wings gently. “Lesson learned. From now on, I’ll glide with pride—without the brag.”
The next morning, Eddie flew again, not to show off, but to enjoy the wind, the clouds, and his new friend’s laughter floating beside him.
And as for his feathers?
He kept them firmly on his back, where they belonged!
The End !
