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Children's Stories
by Margo Fallis
A Birds Eye View


Wylie, a majestic eagle, perched atop a wooden pole, gazing down at the boggy moor below. A cold wind blew across the land. Wylie’s talons clung to the pole as the cold blasted his feathers. As he looked off in the distance he could see rain and snow blowing all directions. The ancient monuments dotting the land were undefined, even the mountain could not be made out.

Wylie waited patiently for the winds to die down so he could hunt for something to eat. He thought about what would taste delicious to him; a fish from the river, perhaps a plump, juicy lizard, a slithering snake, a salmon or trout, or even a furry fox? They all sounded tasty.

As the last of the fierce winds died down, Wylie was able to make out the shape of a pine tree not too far away. A few minutes later he could see it perfectly clear. The storm had passed. It was time for hunting.

He lifted his wings and wind-blown dirt fell from his feathers. His huge wingspan spread for several feet. He flapped them up and down, released his talons, and flew off into the patchy blue sky. As he soared high above, he saw a lizard scurrying across the moor towards a pile of large stones. He swooped down to catch it, but it ran too quickly and soon found safety. Wylie landed on the spongy land sand and stared at the hole where the lizard had run into. How was he going to get it now, he wondered.  He tried to move the stones with his sharp talons but they wouldn’t budge. As he stood there thinking, the lizard stuck its head out from between the stones. Wylie quickly bent his head down and tried to grab it with his curved beak, but the lizard ducked back inside too quickly.

After a few minutes Wylie hopped up on top of the stones and stood there thinking. How was he going to catch the lizard?  Frustrated and unable to come up with a solution, he flapped his wings and flew off.

As he gazed down from high, he noticed that everything was covered with a thick layer of snow or ice from the storm. How would he ever find something to eat? He soared back and forth swooping down for a closer look when he thought he saw something move, but the day was passing quickly and he was getting hungrier and hungrier.

He flew over and landed on top of one of an ancient burial mound. He could see for miles from up there. He saw the river flowing rapidly towards the sea. Along its banks grew bright yellow tulips and white daisies with little yellow centers. Wylie could see branches and twigs floating along the edges of the water. He saw the moor, nothing else, just a damp emptiness.

Maybe he’d be able to find something to eat closer to the river. He flapped his wings and soared from the rounded top of the ancient mound, towards the sparkling waters of the river. As he looked down he saw all kinds of animals running around. There were mice, snakes, wild cats, cows, and even a few sheep and fox.  As he soared high above the waters he could see the river teaming with fish and many other birds.

A Bird's Eye

He tipped his head down, pulled his wings in tightly to his sides and swooped down to the river. His talons stuck out in front as he glided quickly above the waters of the river. He grabbed a trout in his claws and instantly flapped his wings, climbing higher into the sky with the fish held tightly. It was wriggling and squirming, but Wylie kept flying until he reached the top of the mound once again. He sat and ate his fish. He gazed around him once more. The sun was about to set.  The Scottish landscape looked as though it were on fire as the sun’s golden rays radiated across the land, turning from bright yellow to fiery orange, then red, then at last to a pinkish purple before it sank below the horizon. What a beautiful place Scotland was. No better place for an eagle to live and hunt. Wylie, feeling full from the fish he’d just devoured, curled up on top of the mound and fell fast asleep, dreaming of what tomorrow may bring.


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