Aesop | Greece
The Eagle, the Jackdaw and the Shepherd
A Jackdaw, envious of an Eagle's hunting prowess, unsuccessfully attempts to mimic it and is captured by a Shepherd.
One day, an Eagle was flying over some fields when it saw a lamb eating grass. The Eagle quickly flew down, grabbed the lamb with its strong claws, and carried it away.
A Jackdaw was watching and was amazed by the Eagle's power. The Jackdaw thought, "I can do that too!" So it flew up into the air and dived down onto the back of a big ram.
But when the Jackdaw landed, its claws got stuck in the ram's thick wool, and it couldn't fly away. The Jackdaw flapped its wings wildly, but it was trapped.
Just then, a Shepherd saw the Jackdaw struggling on the ram’s back. He came over, untangled the Jackdaw's claws, and took it home.
That evening, the Shepherd gave the Jackdaw to his children, who were curious about the strange bird. They laughed and said, "What a funny bird! What is it called, Father?"
The Shepherd smiled and replied, "This is a Jackdaw, but if you were to ask him, he might tell you he’s an Eagle."
In the end, the Jackdaw learned an important lesson: It’s better to be happy with who you are than to try to be something you're not.
