Once upon a time in a kingdom long ago, lived an eagle and a lion. The lion was king of this enchanted land. The eagle and lion were buddies and got along famously. But, as time went along, things changed. The lion started being mean to the eagle. The eagle put up with it for a while, but then fought back. Finally, after much struggle, he broke free! The eagle soared high in the sky. Some people marveled at the eagle. Some despised him.
The lion secretly laughed with scorn at the eagle because he knew that the eagle wasn’t really free. One connection that the eagle didn’t know about had not been severed. When the eagle finally realized this, he was furious. He cawed loudly in anguish and beat his chest with his wings. He felt that all was lost. His freedom was gone.
However, there were critters in the kingdom who saw how the lion mistreated the eagle and were not happy about it. Luckily, they knew a secret. It was a secret that would destroy the lion if it came out. The critters went to the eagle and told him the information. The eagle was delighted and devised a plan. He went to the lion and told him what he knew.
The lion knew that the eagle could destroy him and bring down his kingdom if this information got out. So, the lion and the eagle came to an agreement. The eagle would not destroy the lion as long as he agreed to one tiny, little thing. He must free the eagle – completely.
The lion realized he had no choice. The two signed the agreement. Now the eagle soars above the mountain peaks, keeping a watchful eye on the critters that had helped him. They marveled and applauded at the eagle’s graceful flight. Now the eagle truly, truly was free.
Michigan Mary 