The Eagle, the Jackdaw, and the Shepherd
The Eagle, the Jackdaw, and the Shepherd by Esopo: A shepherd once found an eagle's egg in a nest. He took it home and raised it as his own. The eaglet grew up to be strong and fierce, but it was also proud and arrogant. One day, the jackdaw, who lived nearby, saw the eaglet and laughed at its clumsiness. The eaglet attacked the jackdaw, but it was no match for the smaller bird's quickness and agility. The shepherd intervened and scolded the eaglet for its behavior. The eaglet realized its mistake and apologized to the jackdaw. From then on, the eaglet learned to respect and appreciate the qualities of others, even if they were different from its own.
By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore · 232 words
First lines
One day a Jackdaw saw an Eagle swoop down on a lamb and carry it off in its talons. "My word," said the Jackdaw, "I'll do that myself. " So it flew high up into the air, and then came shooting down with a great whirring of wings on to the back of a big ram. It had no sooner alighted than its claws got caught fast in the wool, and nothing it could do was of any use: there it stuck, flapping away, and only making things worse instead of better. By and by up came the Shepherd. "Oho," he said, "so that's what you'd be doing, is it? " And he took the Jackdaw, and clipped its wings and carried it home to his children. It looked so odd that they didn't know what to make of it. "What sort of bird is it, father? " they asked. "It's a Jackdaw," he replied, "and nothing but a Jackdaw: but it wants to be taken for an Eagle. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Eagle, the Jackdaw, and the Shepherd is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1668 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore, Fantasy, Classic Literature
- Length: 232 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Eagle, the Jackdaw, and the Shepherd by Esopo
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Eagle, the Jackdaw, and the Shepherd?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Lion The Fox And The Stag by Esopo
- The Shepherd And The Wolf by Esopo
- The Eagle The Cat And The Wild Sow by Esopo
- The Wolf The Fox And The Ape by Esopo
- The Jackdaw And The Pigeons by Esopo
- The Eagle And The Fox by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — As a book written by Esopo, it falls into the Fable genre. It features animals as characters, typically to illustrate or lead to a moral lesson.
- Children's Literature — Esopo's Fables are often categorized as Children's Literature because they use simple and engaging storytelling to convey moral lessons suitable for children.
- Folklore — Esopo's fables, including this book, stem from ancient times and are considered part of the world's Folklore heritage, spreading wisdom tales across generations.
- Fantasy — The characters in the book are personified animals possessing human-like qualities, which associates the story to the Fantasy genre.
Tags
fable · allegory · animals · wisdom · morality · nature · friendship · deception · cunning · shepherd · eagle · jackdaw