The Fairest of them all |
“Every mother thinks that her own children are the best.”
An eagle once promised an owl in return for a favour, that he would never ever harm the owl’s chicks.
“But do you know what my chicks look like?” asked the mother owl doubtfully. “How can I be sure that you won’t mistake them for some other bird’s?”
“Well,” said the eagle. “Describe them to me, so that I can recognise them.”
“Actually, they cannot be mistaken for any other bird’s,” said the owl, her chest puffing up with pride. “They are soft, fluffy, and by far the prettiest young ones you could ever see.”
One evening, the eagle came upon a nest filled with screeching fledglings, their red mouths agape. He paused, then thought, “Surely these are not the owl’s chicks. She said they are very beautiful, but these chicks look hideous.” And he swooped down without a second thought and ate them all.
Returning to her nest, the mother owl found it empty save for a few bloodied feathers.
“How could the eagle have forgotten his promise?”she wailed. “I told him my chicks were the most beautiful in the world!”
“But do you know what my chicks look like?” asked the mother owl doubtfully. “How can I be sure that you won’t mistake them for some other bird’s?”
“Well,” said the eagle. “Describe them to me, so that I can recognise them.”
“Actually, they cannot be mistaken for any other bird’s,” said the owl, her chest puffing up with pride. “They are soft, fluffy, and by far the prettiest young ones you could ever see.”
One evening, the eagle came upon a nest filled with screeching fledglings, their red mouths agape. He paused, then thought, “Surely these are not the owl’s chicks. She said they are very beautiful, but these chicks look hideous.” And he swooped down without a second thought and ate them all.
Returning to her nest, the mother owl found it empty save for a few bloodied feathers.
“How could the eagle have forgotten his promise?”she wailed. “I told him my chicks were the most beautiful in the world!”
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