Storytelling Week 4: Life Like a Hawk

Life Like a Hawk

At only fourteen years old, John was a very hardworking young man. His family owned a farm, so he would work from sunrise to sunset every single day. As a typical teenage boy who was always working, John had the appetite of an elephant. He was much bigger and stronger than most of the boys his age; mainly because of all the work and effort he put in to his family farm.

One day John wonders into the woods to take a break from the physical labor. He just wanted to explore and look around. He noticed a lonely raven sitting in a nest. John stood there quietly waiting for the ravens family to return. Ten minutes goes by, then twenty, and finally John begins to leave the woods. Right at that very moment, a giant hawk swoops past John’s head and flies up to the raven. Next thing he knows the hawk is feeding the raven. Seeing that happen made John angry. He felt as if he was the Hawk, big and strong and always doing for others. HE decided right then that he was no longer going to be the hawk, he was going to be the raven and have others take care of him.

The first day of his lifestyle change went well. John’s mother took very good care of him. After an entire week of no work, and less food, John started noticing some dramatic changes. He was no longer strong, he did not eat as much as he used to, and he did not have the energy he once did. That is when John started to regret his decision.

Slowly but surely, John started to live his hawk-like life again. As he did so, he decided to truly believe in his heart and in his mind that the life of a Raven is not all that it is cracked up to be. Being taken care of all day can be good on rare occasions, but his true calling was to be a hawk. He was meant to be strong and work hard.

(Drawing of a hawk taken from WikiMedia Commons)

Author's Note: Rather than change this story, I just wanted to add to it. The original story talks of a random kid who sees a hawk that is feeding raven and assumes that the life of a raven is ideal. He then learns that the life of a hawk is actually better. I simply wanted to give background on the kid as to why he was so envious of the raven and add to his rational of why he realizes a hawks life is better.



Bibliography:
The Youth, the Hawk, and the Raven
The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai
Maude Barrows Dutton
1908