MAXX
Dave and Sofia are beautiful golden eagles and are a loving couple as well. They live in their cozy abode on a tree top, high up in Himalayan mountains. They have made their home in the highest mountain range. They are surrounded by coniferous trees and snow capped peaks. The tree they live on, is on the edge of a cliff. They can see the clouds float below when they look out of their home. They love flying together, playing together, hunting together and will soon be starting a family too. Sofia has laid a couple of eggs which will hatch anytime soon.
The day finally has come. The first egg hatches, from it emerges their elder son Sam. The second egg is taking a little longer, the parents are eager to see the other one too. Well it took a little longer, but the other one has hatched too and out comes their second son Maxx. The parents are overjoyed. They are thrilled to see the little chicks, just like little balls of skin with hardly any feathers on their body. As time passes, Dave and Sofia are proving to be extremely good parents, taking good care of the two young ones. They take turns looking after the kids and going out to get food for the family. Always alert, the one who stays back stands guard, protecting the little ones from any sort of harm.
Time flies by and the chicks have grown to being big eagles now. It's time to take the leap out of the nest. They have been working out their wings within the nest but it's time for the big moment, the time they fly from the nest. "I am worried about little Maxx", says Sofia to Dave. Indeed it's a matter of concern. Maxx has always been scared about the thought of flying. Funny how we get judgemental about something without even trying it out first. Same was with Maxx. He would walk to the edge of the nest, look below, and come back again. While Sam was eager to fly, Maxx was happy just sitting in his nest. "Don't worry Sofia, he will learn, I will teach him", said Dave. "Sam, your turn first son, go fly high and make us proud", said Dave to Sam. Sam walked to the edge, spread his wings and leaped off the nest. A few feet downwards and then up and away he went, soaring in the sky like an eagle is supposed to. Maxx looked up to him with a smile but still sitting inside the nest. "Your turn Maxx", said Dave, Sofia had a really worried look on her face. "No dad not today please", requested Maxx. "Maxx", yelled Dave, "you must go right away". Maxx was terrified. He walked up to the edge, spread his wings and looked down. He immediately snapped his wings, tucked them in and quickly ran to his mom crying. "Let him be for today Dave, we'll try some other time", said Sofia. Dave flew off in anger and Sofia just hugged her son who felt safe and comfortable in his mom's embrace. Nothing can be better to comfort a child than a warm embrace from his or her mother.
Days went by and Maxx was not able to muster the courage to take the leap. He would leave his nest though, he would walk on the branch to the edge and sit there alone. Watching Sam and other friends flying, hunting and playing or sometimes just watching the sunset. "What a disgrace I am to my parents", Maxx would often think. Sam and the other eagles also made fun of him. Mocked him for not flying which further dented his self confidence. How often people pin someone down and make mockery of their weakness, when they can encourage and help them overcome fear. Why is it that we like to see someone not do well? Why do we feel happy at someone else's downfall? Why do we have to soar alone? Why can't we be encouraging and take someone along with us as we rise higher? This was also the situation of Maxx. Every morning he would get up with the will to try, fail, get humiliated and come back weeping to his nest in the evening. Secretly Sofia wept each night as well and Dave would comfort her saying it will be alright. "One day he will fly, he just needs a push", said Dave one night. Sofia did not quiet understand but did not say much either.
One morning Sofia woke up to find Maxx missing from the nest. She quickly raised an alarm and woke Dave up. "Wake up quickly, Maxx is not here we must find him", she said to Dave. They quickly got up and flew out of their nest, they circled the tree and looked for Maxx. There he was, sitting at the edge of a branch over the cliff, others as usual having a good time at his expense. Dave landed on the branch some distance away, while Sofia went and sat beside Maxx. "What are you doing here Maxx? We were so worried", she said. "I'm ashamed of myself. I'm a disgrace to you and pop, maa", said Maxx and wept. Sofia hugged him and then told him to look her in the eyes. "We are proud of you son. You have a great heart. You are a magnificent eagle and you are destined to fly. You will get your chance and when you do son, just spread your wings, have faith, have confidence and soar above everyone else. Fly higher than anyone else, faster than anyone else and be the greatest hunter of our community. That's your destiny and I'm sure you will fulfill your destiny some day", said Sofia is an assertive voice. Suddenly Maxx's eyes were glowing with confidence and his weeping was replaced with a smile. That's the power of a mother's love. "We are going home now. The weather is rough, you please come back as soon as you feel better", said Sofia and walked on the branch towards Dave.
Suddenly strong winds started blowing. Then a very powerful gust of wind and Maxx lost his balance. He lost his grip and went falling down. "Maxxxxx..", yelled Sofia, frozen in shock she could not move, her wings spread out pointing towards her son, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. How painful it would be for a mother to see her son fall. With a thud he hit the edge and tumbled off the cliff and disappeared below the floating clouds. With her wings still spread and tears in her eyes, she just kept repeating in a feeble voice barely audible, "Maxx... Maxx... Maxx", though her spirit was shouting out to her son. Tears rolling down her eyes, the pain was unbearable. Dave was shattered, frozen in shock, he had not moved from his place and just kept staring into the emptiness from where his son went down. No parents should have to see their child fall, it would be the most painful thing ever for a parent. The other eagles also did not swoop down to help, it all happened so suddenly and they had been advised that there are poachers below and never to dive down below the clouds.
Below the clouds Maxx was falling, his eyes closed in fear. He gathered the courage to open his eyes. He was going down fast. He suddenly realised that he wasn't just falling, he was in perfect swoop posture that he had seen his parents and other eagles take while hunting. Head down, tail up, wings and legs perfectly tucked in. His mother's words echoed in his head again "You will get your chance and when you do son, just spread your wings, have faith, have confidence and soar above everyone else". With great courage Maxx tried to spread his wings but the force of the air against his wings for so immense he quickly drew his wings in again. With the ground fast approaching he thought to himself, "It's now or never Maxx, let's do it, just spread you wings Maxx!" He closed his eyes and with all his strength he spread his wings open and just a few feet above the ground he came out of the fall. He was now gliding a few feet above the ground. He opened his eyes to realise he was actually flying! All this time the poor little creatures on the ground thought they were being hunted by this hunter from above, little did they know Maxx's story. "Woooooo hoooooo, yeah.. Yes yes yes", Maxx shouted in an exhilarating voice. He now flapped his wings and started to gain altitude.
Above Dave and Sofia were inconsolable. They hugged each other and cried in despair. Suddenly they heard something. They looked towards the clouds, there was some movement there and breaking through the clouds like a rocket came Maxx. "Yeah, I'm back", shouted Maxx as he rose higher and higher above everyone else and circled the tree where Dave and Sofia were sitting. They were overjoyed and could not believe what they were just witnessing. Tears of sorrow were replaced with, tears of happiness to see their son again and not just see him again but see him flying for the first time. Sometimes you never know how strong you are unless being strong is the only option you have, Maxx discovered this that day. Life throws surprises at you, it's darkest before sunrise, and it's after the worst that the best will emerge, this is what Dave and Sofia discovered that day and Sofia then understood that sometimes you need to fall in order to learn how to fly.
The day finally has come. The first egg hatches, from it emerges their elder son Sam. The second egg is taking a little longer, the parents are eager to see the other one too. Well it took a little longer, but the other one has hatched too and out comes their second son Maxx. The parents are overjoyed. They are thrilled to see the little chicks, just like little balls of skin with hardly any feathers on their body. As time passes, Dave and Sofia are proving to be extremely good parents, taking good care of the two young ones. They take turns looking after the kids and going out to get food for the family. Always alert, the one who stays back stands guard, protecting the little ones from any sort of harm.
Time flies by and the chicks have grown to being big eagles now. It's time to take the leap out of the nest. They have been working out their wings within the nest but it's time for the big moment, the time they fly from the nest. "I am worried about little Maxx", says Sofia to Dave. Indeed it's a matter of concern. Maxx has always been scared about the thought of flying. Funny how we get judgemental about something without even trying it out first. Same was with Maxx. He would walk to the edge of the nest, look below, and come back again. While Sam was eager to fly, Maxx was happy just sitting in his nest. "Don't worry Sofia, he will learn, I will teach him", said Dave. "Sam, your turn first son, go fly high and make us proud", said Dave to Sam. Sam walked to the edge, spread his wings and leaped off the nest. A few feet downwards and then up and away he went, soaring in the sky like an eagle is supposed to. Maxx looked up to him with a smile but still sitting inside the nest. "Your turn Maxx", said Dave, Sofia had a really worried look on her face. "No dad not today please", requested Maxx. "Maxx", yelled Dave, "you must go right away". Maxx was terrified. He walked up to the edge, spread his wings and looked down. He immediately snapped his wings, tucked them in and quickly ran to his mom crying. "Let him be for today Dave, we'll try some other time", said Sofia. Dave flew off in anger and Sofia just hugged her son who felt safe and comfortable in his mom's embrace. Nothing can be better to comfort a child than a warm embrace from his or her mother.
Days went by and Maxx was not able to muster the courage to take the leap. He would leave his nest though, he would walk on the branch to the edge and sit there alone. Watching Sam and other friends flying, hunting and playing or sometimes just watching the sunset. "What a disgrace I am to my parents", Maxx would often think. Sam and the other eagles also made fun of him. Mocked him for not flying which further dented his self confidence. How often people pin someone down and make mockery of their weakness, when they can encourage and help them overcome fear. Why is it that we like to see someone not do well? Why do we feel happy at someone else's downfall? Why do we have to soar alone? Why can't we be encouraging and take someone along with us as we rise higher? This was also the situation of Maxx. Every morning he would get up with the will to try, fail, get humiliated and come back weeping to his nest in the evening. Secretly Sofia wept each night as well and Dave would comfort her saying it will be alright. "One day he will fly, he just needs a push", said Dave one night. Sofia did not quiet understand but did not say much either.
One morning Sofia woke up to find Maxx missing from the nest. She quickly raised an alarm and woke Dave up. "Wake up quickly, Maxx is not here we must find him", she said to Dave. They quickly got up and flew out of their nest, they circled the tree and looked for Maxx. There he was, sitting at the edge of a branch over the cliff, others as usual having a good time at his expense. Dave landed on the branch some distance away, while Sofia went and sat beside Maxx. "What are you doing here Maxx? We were so worried", she said. "I'm ashamed of myself. I'm a disgrace to you and pop, maa", said Maxx and wept. Sofia hugged him and then told him to look her in the eyes. "We are proud of you son. You have a great heart. You are a magnificent eagle and you are destined to fly. You will get your chance and when you do son, just spread your wings, have faith, have confidence and soar above everyone else. Fly higher than anyone else, faster than anyone else and be the greatest hunter of our community. That's your destiny and I'm sure you will fulfill your destiny some day", said Sofia is an assertive voice. Suddenly Maxx's eyes were glowing with confidence and his weeping was replaced with a smile. That's the power of a mother's love. "We are going home now. The weather is rough, you please come back as soon as you feel better", said Sofia and walked on the branch towards Dave.
Suddenly strong winds started blowing. Then a very powerful gust of wind and Maxx lost his balance. He lost his grip and went falling down. "Maxxxxx..", yelled Sofia, frozen in shock she could not move, her wings spread out pointing towards her son, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. How painful it would be for a mother to see her son fall. With a thud he hit the edge and tumbled off the cliff and disappeared below the floating clouds. With her wings still spread and tears in her eyes, she just kept repeating in a feeble voice barely audible, "Maxx... Maxx... Maxx", though her spirit was shouting out to her son. Tears rolling down her eyes, the pain was unbearable. Dave was shattered, frozen in shock, he had not moved from his place and just kept staring into the emptiness from where his son went down. No parents should have to see their child fall, it would be the most painful thing ever for a parent. The other eagles also did not swoop down to help, it all happened so suddenly and they had been advised that there are poachers below and never to dive down below the clouds.
Below the clouds Maxx was falling, his eyes closed in fear. He gathered the courage to open his eyes. He was going down fast. He suddenly realised that he wasn't just falling, he was in perfect swoop posture that he had seen his parents and other eagles take while hunting. Head down, tail up, wings and legs perfectly tucked in. His mother's words echoed in his head again "You will get your chance and when you do son, just spread your wings, have faith, have confidence and soar above everyone else". With great courage Maxx tried to spread his wings but the force of the air against his wings for so immense he quickly drew his wings in again. With the ground fast approaching he thought to himself, "It's now or never Maxx, let's do it, just spread you wings Maxx!" He closed his eyes and with all his strength he spread his wings open and just a few feet above the ground he came out of the fall. He was now gliding a few feet above the ground. He opened his eyes to realise he was actually flying! All this time the poor little creatures on the ground thought they were being hunted by this hunter from above, little did they know Maxx's story. "Woooooo hoooooo, yeah.. Yes yes yes", Maxx shouted in an exhilarating voice. He now flapped his wings and started to gain altitude.
Above Dave and Sofia were inconsolable. They hugged each other and cried in despair. Suddenly they heard something. They looked towards the clouds, there was some movement there and breaking through the clouds like a rocket came Maxx. "Yeah, I'm back", shouted Maxx as he rose higher and higher above everyone else and circled the tree where Dave and Sofia were sitting. They were overjoyed and could not believe what they were just witnessing. Tears of sorrow were replaced with, tears of happiness to see their son again and not just see him again but see him flying for the first time. Sometimes you never know how strong you are unless being strong is the only option you have, Maxx discovered this that day. Life throws surprises at you, it's darkest before sunrise, and it's after the worst that the best will emerge, this is what Dave and Sofia discovered that day and Sofia then understood that sometimes you need to fall in order to learn how to fly.
Beautiful ☺
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