Eagle and Magpie
Etched on the low stone wall you see here:
are some fables that I think come from an Indian tribe from these parts. One is of Magpie, the great nest builder, teaching the other birds to build quality nests.
Many birds build inferior homes, it claims, because they grew bored with Magpie's instructions and ditched class. Only Oriole stayed for the whole training and became Magpie's equal in the critical task. This was the story's focus.
But I was more interested in Eagle, second to last to leave, and the only one with a good reason for quitting. He said that he didn't need to learn to build a roof for his nest because the mountain peaks he roosted against were a better protection from the elements than any nest could be.
In other words, Eagle knew to trust in the creator of the earth to provide for him in a way that his own devices could never measure up to. He didn't try to outdo the hand of providence with his own meager skills.
Magpie and Oriole may have ended up the best architects in town, but Eagle alone knew the majesty and protection of the sacred summit. Only he had the humility to dwell among the peaks.
- a part of the mobile blogging experiment.
are some fables that I think come from an Indian tribe from these parts. One is of Magpie, the great nest builder, teaching the other birds to build quality nests.
Many birds build inferior homes, it claims, because they grew bored with Magpie's instructions and ditched class. Only Oriole stayed for the whole training and became Magpie's equal in the critical task. This was the story's focus.
But I was more interested in Eagle, second to last to leave, and the only one with a good reason for quitting. He said that he didn't need to learn to build a roof for his nest because the mountain peaks he roosted against were a better protection from the elements than any nest could be.
In other words, Eagle knew to trust in the creator of the earth to provide for him in a way that his own devices could never measure up to. He didn't try to outdo the hand of providence with his own meager skills.
Magpie and Oriole may have ended up the best architects in town, but Eagle alone knew the majesty and protection of the sacred summit. Only he had the humility to dwell among the peaks.
- a part of the mobile blogging experiment.
Comments