With Your Own Wings

A sparrow complained to the forest fairy, “Please, change my wings. I am not happy with it.” The kind fairy obeyed and gave the sparrow a new pair of eagle’s wings.

After trying out the wings in the air, the sparrow returned to the fairy and said, “Give me another pair of wings. These eagle wings are too powerful for me.” Again, the kind fairy obliged and gave the sparrow a set of hawk’s wings.

But then, after trying to fly with the hawk’s wings, the sparrow returned to the fairy and said, “Give me another pair of wings. Hawk’s wings are too fast for me.”

After trying the wings of a hawk, the sparrow remained discontented. The fairy had made the sparrow try the wings of a stork, a pelican, a seagull, a vulture, even a woodpecker’s. But still, through all of these, the sparrow was not contented.

Finally, the fairy gave the sparrow another set of wings. After flying with it, the sparrow was overjoyed and was so happy with it; it was the pair of wings which fitted him most.

The sparrow approached the fairy and asked, “What kind of wings are these? They are the ones which have made me fly.”

“Sparrow’s wings!” came the reply.