Fable: Aspiration

Once a bird came across a tall tree, the tallest he had ever seen. Looking up, he saw that the highest branch of the tree was laden with fruits. He noticed a lot of birds sitting on the lower branches, squawking continuously, but none on that branch.

"What a bunch of losers! Instead of aiming high and relishing the ripe fruits, these birds are satisfied sitting on the lower branches." the bird thought to himself.

The bird soared high, aiming for that branch. But, as he ascended, he was knocked down by other branches in the way. He landed on a branch below. The branch was full off cobwebs, and as he struggled, his feet got entangled. He couldn't fly.

Other birds on the branch squawked louder.

"How do you get off this branch? I am stuck here." asked the bird.

The other birds stopped squawking. There was a silence.

"What do you think we all are doing here? Do you really think we chose this branch?" Asked one of the birds.

After a moment, the birds resumed their squawking, desperately trying to free themselves of the cobwebs, and dreaming of the fruit-laden branch higher up. The new bird joined in. 

"Don’t judge people in their reduced circumstances, nobody aspires to be there."

Fable: Aspiration By Shon Mehta (Illustration)

Crows. Photo © Mary Quite Contrary / Flickr through a Creative Commons license