The Eagle and the Jackdaw

Anyone who has read Aesop’s Fables will know the story of the “The eagle and the Jackdaw” as it is is one of the more famous stories from the grand collection of the Aesop’s Fables. It is the story of a very vain Jackdaw who wants to imitate the mighty eagle and then has to face the consequences of his actions…

Story

There was once a Jackdaw who was very vain. He would always say that he was the greatest and most perfect bird.

One day he saw a mighty Eagle who swooped down and caught a lamb with its powerful talons. The eagle flew away with her powerful wings carrying the lamb.

The Jackdaw was so foolish and vain, he thought, “ CAW!! CAW!! If an eagle can carry a lamb, I can also carry a lamb. I am certainly bigger and stronger than he is.”

He flew as high as he could and thought, “CAW!! CAW!! This is how high the eagle flies. Now I must swoop down and catch the lamb.”

Then he thought, “CAW!! CAW!! No. A lamb shall not suffice. I shall hunt something bigger. I shall hunt a fully grown Ram.”

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He swooped down spreading his wings and landed swiftly on top of a large Ram. He clawed into the wool of the Ram and flapped his wings.

FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!

But he could not fly. The Ram did not even notice that the Jackdaw was sitting on his back and continued to eat. The Jackdaw finally gave up and tried to fly off. However, its claws were entangled in the wool of the sheep and he could not fly off.

The shepherd and his children saw the Jackdaw. They asked the Jackdaw what had happened. The Jackdaw said, “CAW!! CAW!! CAW!! Behold, I am a powerful eagle and not a Jackdaw.”

The children laughed and said, “You are so vain. An Eagle is an eagle and a Jackdaw is a Jackdaw. Calling yourself an eagle shall not change who you are.”

Moral of the story:

“Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.”

Questions on “The eagle and the Jackdaw“

Who are the main characters of the story?
What was the Jackdaw like?
What was the eagle like?
What happens at the end of the story?
What is the moral of the story?

Answers:

The main characters of the story are an eagle and a Jackdaw.
The Jackdaw was very vain. He would always say that he was the greatest and most perfect bird.
Then Eagle was mighty. It swooped down and caught a lamb with its powerful talons and flew away carrying the lamb.
The Jackdaw’s claws were entangled in the wool of the sheep and it could not fly off.
The moral of the Aesop’s Fable is that “Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.”