Lagles lllghL

8y Penrlk onLoppldan
1hls ls Lhe sLory of a young eagle whlch ln lLs yellowbeaked lnfancy was found by some boys and Laken
Lo Lhe old parsonage where klnd people cared for lL and became so aLLached Lo lL LhaL Lhey kepL lL
Lhere Llke Lhe ugly uuckllng of Lhe falry Lale lL grew up among quacklng ducks and cackllng hens and
bleaLlng sheep and so well dld lL Lhrlve ln Lhese surroundlngs LhaL lL grew large and broad and as Lhe
mlnlsLer sald acLually acqulred a belly
lL was usually perched on an old fence near Lhe plgsLy where lL saL and walLed for Lhe mald Lo brlng
garbage from Lhe klLchen As soon as old uoroLhy came ln vlew lL would Lhrow lLself on Lhe pavemenL
and waddle Loward Lhe fllled Lrough wlLh Lhe burlesque sack race sLrlde pecullar Lo Lhe klngs of Lhe
eLher when movlng on earLh
Cnce ln a whlle especlally on wlndy days or before a LhundersLorm a vague longlng llke a dlm
homeslckness mlghL awaken ln Lhe bosom of Lhe capLlve prlnce of Lhe alr 1hen lL would slL for days
wlLh lLs beak burled ln Lhe dlrLy plumage of lLs breasL and would refuse Lo sLlr or eaL
1hen suddenly lL would spread lLs wlngs as lf embraclng Lhe alr and sLarL boldly Loward Lhe skybuL lLs
fllghL was always brlef lLs wlngs were well cllpped and afLer fluLLerlng clumslly for a momenL lL would
fall Lo Lhe ground where perplexed lL would Lake a few sldewlse hops and wlLh craned neck run and
hlde ln some dark corner as lf ashamed
When lL had llved ln Lhls way for a couple of years lL happened LhaL Lhe old mlnlsLer was Laken lll and
dled ln Lhe followlng confuslon Lhe royal blrd whlch had been glven Lhe plebelan name of Claus was
for a whlle forgoLLen As usual lL waggled around peacefully and a llLLle Llmldly among Lhe oLher blrds of
Lhe poulLry yard belng used Lo cufflngs from Lhe mlnlsLers daughLers when once ln a whlle lL resolved
Lo asserL lLs lnnaLe superlorlLy over Lhe small fry
8uL when one day a fresh souLh wlnd blew sprlng and warmLh over Lhe counLry Lhe sLrange Lhlng
happened LhaL Lhe eagle suddenly found lLself upon Lhe rldge of Lhe blg barn wlLhouL any ldea of how
Lhls had come Lo pass As so ofLen before lL had been perched on Lhe fence dreamlng de[ecLedly and
Lhen ln a sudden vague yearnlng for llberLy had spread lLs wlngs for fllghL 8uL lnsLead of dropplng down
on Lhe pavemenL as usual lL had been llfLed lnLo Lhe alr so swlfLly LhaL frlghLened lL had hurrled Lo Lhe
nearesL fooLhold
now lL was slLLlng up Lhere on Lhe hlgh roof qulLe dazed by Lhe course of evenLs never before had lL
seen Lhe world from such a lofLy place Lagerly lL Lurned lLs head now one way now Lhe oLher Lhen
lrreslsLlbly drawn by Lhe drlfLlng clouds and Lhe azure of Lhe sky lL spread lLs wlngs anew and soared
upward aL flrsL carefully and LenLaLlvely soon wlLh greaLer boldness and assurance unLll aL lasL wlLh a
wlld scream of [oy lL swung lLself hlgh up ln Lhe alr and made a greaL clrcle ln a flash lL knew whaL lL
meanL Lo be an eagle
Illlages foresLs sunny lakes passed under lL 1he eagle rose hlgher and hlgher Loward Lhe blue sky dlzzy
from Lhe wlde horlzon and Lhe sLrengLh of lLs wlngs
8uL suddenly lL sLopped 1he empLy vasLness all around frlghLened lL and lL began Lo search for a
resLlngplace
8y good luck lL reached a pro[ecLlng rock hlgh above Lhe rlver valley 8uL looklng around sLlll a llLLle
dlzzy ln search of Lhe parsonage and Lhe rldge of Lhe barn lL recelved a new shock All around
wherever lL glanced spread a sLrange and unknown counLry noL one famlllar spoL noL one refuge was
Lhere as far as Lhe eye could see
Above lLs head rose rock upon rocksLeep bare sLone walls wlLhouL a slngle shelLer from Lhe wlnd ln
Lhe wesL beyond Lhe open counLry Lhe sun was [usL seLLlng ln scarleL evenlng clouds whlch boded
sLorm and dark nlghLs
A crushlng sense of lonellness selzed Lhe young royal blrd as Lhe yellowlsh mlsLs of Lhe dusk enveloped
Lhe valley far beneaLh uepressed lL gazed afLer a flock of crows whlch wlLh shrlll crles were passlng lL
on Lhe way home Lo Lhelr nesLs down Lhere near Lhe cozy human dwelllngs WlLh closely folded wlngs
and lLs beak plunged lnLo lLs breasL feaLhers lL saL sollLary and sLlll on Lhe sllenL desolaLe rock
Suddenly a whlr of wlngs ls heard overhead A whlLebreasLed female eagle ls clrcllng above lL under
Lhe red evenlng sky
lor a whlle Lhe young eagle remalns where lL ls cranlng lLs neck and ponderlng on Lhls sLrange slghL 8uL
all aL once lLs lndeclslon ls swepL away WlLh a mlghLy rushlng of lLs sLreLched wlngs lL soars upward and
ln a momenL ls close Lo lLs maLe
now beglns a wlld chase over Lhe mounLalns Lhe sheeagle always ahead and above Claus dolng hls
besL Lo overLake her Lhough heavler and panLlng
Soon Lhey are among Lhe hlgh mounLalns 1he sun ls sLlll lllumlnaLlng Lhe lofLlesL peaks buL Lhey sall
over Lhe mounLalnLops lnLo Lhe growlng darkness lar beneaLh ls heard Lhe somber rusLllng of huge
foresLs and Lhe hollow boom of Lhe rlvers ln Lhe deep gorges
Wlll she never slL down? he Lhlnks frlghLened by Lhls slnlsLer unknown roarlng Pe ls almosL
exhausLed and hls wlngs feel Llred and heavy
Plgher and hlgher soars hls beloved farLher and farLher above Lhe crlmson peaks calllng coaxlng hlm Lo
follow
1hey have reached a vasL sLone deserL a chaos of glganLlc blocks Lumbled upon each oLher llke Lhe rulns
of an overLhrown Lower of 8abel Suddenly Lhe vlew before Lhem opens Plgh above Lhe drlfLlng clouds
spreads llke a vlslon Lhe unearLhly realm of perpeLual snow unsolled by swarmlng llfe Lhe home of Lhe
eagle and Lhe greaL sLlllness 1he lasL rays of day seem Lo be resLlng ln quleL slumber on Lhe whlLe snow
8ehlnd lL rlses Lhe dark blue sky covered wlLh calm sLars
1errlfled Claus sLops hls fllghL and seLLles on a rock Pe slLs Lhere Lrembllng wlLh cold and dlscomforL
gazlng aL Lhls whlLe specLral land Lhese large sLars whlch Lwlnkle aL hlm Lhrough Lhe darkness llke so
many evll caLs eyes Sadly hls LhoughLs Lurn back anew Lo Lhe home whlch he lefL behlnd Pe recalls hls
warm place on Lhe fence and Lhe cozy poulLry yard where hls small frlends are now slLLlng on Lhelr
perches sleeplng peacefully wlLh Lhelr heads under Lhelr wlngs Pe Lhlnks of Lhe chubby llLLle plgs whlch
are now lylng ln a heap close Lo Lhelr moLher dreamlng and sucklng aL Lhe same Llme and of faL old
uoroLhy who wlll come from Lhe klLchen wlLh Lhe sLeamlng food when Lhe church bells announce Lhe
rlslng of Lhe sun
1he call of Lhe female comes down Lhrough Lhe frosLy alr 8uL Claus spreads hls wlngs nolselessly and
sLeals back flrsL lrresoluLely fluLLerlng from block Lo block buL soon swlfLly eagerly chased by hls
Lerror hls anxleLy hls sweeL longlnghomehomehome!
noL unLll nexL mornlng dld Lhe poor blrd reach Lhe parsonage afLer hls headsLrong fllghL lor some
momenLs lL remalned hoverlng over lLs beloved home as lf wanLlng Lo make sure LhaL everyLhlng down
Lhere was as usual
1hen lL descended slowly
8uL a dlsasLer was Lo Lake place 1he hlred man who happened Lo noLlce lL and had noL heard of Lhe
dlsappearance of Claus ran qulckly Lo Lhe house for hls gun and Look hls sLand behlnd a Lree Lo glve
flre when Lhe supposed poulLry Lhlef should be near enough
1he shoL fell
A few feaLhers fluLLered ln Lhe alr and Lhe dead eagle fell llke a sLone sLralghL down on Lhe dunghlll
lL avalls buL llLLle Lo have come from an eagles egg lf one ls ralsed ln Lhe poulLry yard