A Bedtime Story

Momma Eagle built a fine nest.  She gathered limbs, boards, twigs 
from all over the area where she lived.  She anchored the next to a
rocky ledge, then collected feathers, yarn, down, cotton, old rags,
anything she could find to line the nest to make it soft.  Then she
laid her eggs in the soft lining and incubated them until they all
hatched.  

They were a fine group of eaglets.  Momma brought them food.  They 
did not even have to chew it.  She did that for them.  The grew fine
and strong.  

Eventually, Momma Eagle stopped chewing their food and brought them
food that they had to chew. They liked the food she brought earlier,
but this was okay.  They got to practice holding and tearing the food.
When she or Daddy Eagle came to the nest, they would stand up on the
side and flap their wings vigorously.  The children soon began to 
copy what mom and dad did.  

One day, Momma Eagle got Bubba on her back and flew away from the 
nest.  At first, Bubba was frightened.  He had never been away from 
the nest before.  Suddenly he realized how high he was.  He clutched
tightly to momma.  Suddenly, she rolled over on her back and dropped
him off.  

Oh, no!  My own mother is trying to  kill me!  He fell tumbling 
through the air for what seemed like an eternity.  But as he was
getting close to the ground, suddenly she swooped under him and 
caught him on her back.  He hung on even more tightly for fear that 
she might do it again.

This became a routine.  Daily she took the eaglets and flew them
around. It was exciting with the wind rushing against their face 
and breast.  But it was terrifying when she dumped them off her back.
Then one day, one of the babies righted himself as he fell, spread 
his wings...and flew.  What a great discovery!  Soon another made the
discovery and then another. Finally, only one was left that had not
flown.  All the others were flying from the nest now and teasing 
Bubba for his slowness.  Momma Eagle continued to dump Bubba from 
her back and even at times would throw him from the nest.  Still he 
was content to sit in the nest and not fly.

Then momma began to pick out the soft lining in the nest.  Suddenly,
the nest was not as comfortable.  There were thorns and splinters 
and rough limbs and twigs.  Bubba began to think that his momma was
bad.  Still, he did not want fly.  So Momma Eagle began to take the
nest apart.  First the railing around the next was pulled out.  Bubba
thought the nest was getting dangerous.  He pleaded with momma to not
destroy his comfort zone.  "Give me a little more time and I will try
to fly," he said.

"When are you going to try?" asked Momma Eagle.

"Maybe tomorrow," he replied.

But Momma Eagle continued to remove parts of the nest.  Finally only 
a few pieces of wood remained.

"Come over her to the of the ledge," Momma said.  "Come over by me."

Bubba walked over to the edge and Momma Eagle pushed him . . . and 
he flew.

Even eagles need a push sometimes.