Once upon a time there was a baby eagle living in a nest perched on a cliff overlooking a beautiful valley with waterfalls and streams， trees and lots of little animals， scurrying¹ about enjoying their lives.

The baby eagle liked the nest. It was the only world he had ever known. It was warm and comfortable， had a great view， and even better， he had all the food and love and attention that a great mother eagle could provide. Many times each day the mother would swoop² down from the sky and land in the nest and feed the baby eagle delicious morsels³ of food. She was like a god to him， he had no idea where she came from or how she worked her magic.

The baby eagle was hungry all the time， but the mother eagle would always come just in time with the food and love and attention he craved⁴. The baby eagle grew strong. His vision grew very sharp. He felt good all the time.

Until one day， the mother stopped coming to the nest.

The baby eagle was hungry. “I'm sure to die，” said the baby eagle， all the time.

“Very soon， death is coming，” he cried， with tears streaming down his face. Over and over. But there was no one there to hear him.

Then one day the mother eagle appeared at the top of the mountain cliff， with a big bowl of delicious food and she looked down at her baby. The baby looked up at the mother and cried “Why did you abandon me? I'm going to die any minute. How could you do this to me?”

The mother said， “Here is some very tasty and nourishing food， all you have to do is come get it.”

“Come get it!” said the baby， with much anger. “How?”

The mother flew away.

The baby cried and cried and cried.

A few days later， “I'm going to end it all，” he said. “I give up. It is time for me to die.”

He didn't know his mother was nearby. She swooped⁵ down to the nest with his last meal.

“Eat this， it's your last meal，” she said.

The baby cried， but he ate and whined⁶ and whined about what a bad mother she was.

“You're a terrible mother，” he said. Then she pushed him out of the nest.

He fell.

Head first.

Picked up speed.

Faster and faster.

He screamed. “I'm dying I'm dying，” he cried. He picked up more speed.

He looked up at his mother. “How could you do this to me?”

He looked down.

The ground rushed closer， faster and faster. He could visualize⁷ his own death so clearly， coming so soon， and cried and whined and complained. “This isn't fair!” he screamed.

Something strange happens.

The air caught behind his arms and they snapped away from his body， with a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced. He looked down and saw the sky. He wasn't moving towards the ground anymore， his eyes were pointed⁸ up at the sun.

“Huh?” he said. “What is going on here!”

“You're flying，” his mother said.

“This is fun!” laughed the baby eagle， as he soared and dived and swooped.

“Yes it is!” said the mother.

很久以前，在一个峭壁上有一个鹰巢，里面住着一只小鹰。峭壁下是一个美丽的河谷，小溪流淌，瀑布飞泻，绿树婆娑，各种小动物四处奔跑，无忧无虑。

小鹰很喜欢这个巢，自出生以来这个巢就是它所有的天地。这个窝温暖舒适、环境怡人。而最重要的是，在巢里，它可以得到母亲给予的一切——食物、关怀和爱心。每天好几次，母亲都会从高空飞下来，一口一口地喂它可口的食物。在它眼里，母亲就像神一样，它不知道母亲从哪里来，到底懂些什么魔法。

小鹰老是想吃东西，母亲每次总能及时赶到，给它送来它渴求的一切——食物，关怀和爱心。小鹰茁壮成长，它的眼光变得越来越锐利。这一切都让小鹰感觉很惬意。

直到有一天，母亲再也不来巢窝了。

小鹰感到非常饥饿，“这回我死定了。”它老是这样想。

“死神很快就要降临了，”它哀号着，泪流满面。它不停地哭着，但就是没人来答理它。

直到一天，鹰妈妈又出现在悬崖上，带来了一大碗可口的食物。她看着自己的小宝贝，小鹰抬头看着妈妈，哭着道：“你为什么要抛弃我呀?我快要死了，你怎么可以这样对我啊?”

妈妈说：“我这儿有一些又可口又有营养的食物，要吃呢，你就自己来拿!”

“自己来拿?”小鹰很气愤地说，“叫我怎么拿啊?”

妈妈飞走了。

小鹰又继续不停地哭啊，哭。

几天后，小鹰说：“死就死，我放弃了，我的死期已到。”

它不知道母亲就在附近。她俯冲而下，给小鹰带来它最后的饭餐。

“把这个吃了，这是你最后的饭餐。”她说。

小鹰哭了，它边吃边埋怨母亲不是一个称职的好妈妈。

“你真是一个很糟糕的妈妈。”待它说完，母亲把它推下了巢。

它很快往下掉。

头朝下。

下跌的速度加快了。

越来越快。

它尖叫着，“我要死了，我要死了!”它下坠得更快了。

它抬头看着妈妈，“你怎么可以这样对我呢?”

它朝下看了一下。

眼看着地面离自己越来越近了，它可以清晰地预见到自己的死亡，它叫喊着、抱怨着，“这太不公平了!”

奇怪的事情发生了。

空气托起了它的翅膀，翅膀随之啪地打开了，这种感觉是它从未体验过的。它朝下看，看到了天空。它已经不再往下跌了，它的眼睛正对着太阳。

“咦?”它说，“这是怎么回事呢?”

“你在飞呢!”鹰妈妈说。

“这太好玩了!”小鹰笑着说，它一会儿高飞，一会儿俯冲，一会儿飞扑。

“没错，是很好玩!”母亲说道。