The Tortoise and the Eagle

A Tortoise, dwelling peacefully in a quiet valley, was captured one day by a mighty Eagle. The great bird, testing the shell of the creature, found it remarkably hard, yet not hard enough to crack with the strength of his talons. Seeking another method, the Eagle carried the Tortoise high into the air, flying upward until the earth below appeared no larger than a grain of sand. At this tremendous height, the Eagle released his grip, allowing the Tortoise to plummet toward the earth. The Tortoise, falling through the vast emptiness of air, drew himself entirely within his shell and awaited his fate with courage. Though terror filled his heart, he did not cry out, nor did he resist the inevitable. He accepted that death might come, and faced it with the fortitude of a creature whose nature was to endure. The Tortoise's shell, being extremely hard and designed by nature to protect the creature within, absorbed the terrible impact of the fall upon the rocky ground below. Though the impact was tremendous and the force devastating, the shell held firm, and the Tortoise survived. The Eagle, observing that his stratagem had failed, descended to inspect his prey. Finding the Tortoise alive within his shell, the Eagle recognized that this creature possessed a fortitude that exceeded the power of his talons and the height of his flight. He acknowledged that some creatures, through the gifts of nature and the strength of their own enduring spirit, were simply beyond his power to harm. The Eagle flew away, leaving the Tortoise to emerge slowly from his shell and make his way back to the peaceful valley from which he had been taken. Thus did the Tortoise demonstrate that true fortitude—the courage to face even death with steadfast spirit—is a protection more secure than any weapon or escape.