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One day, all the birds of the air decided to stage a contest to find out who was best suited to be their leader. The one that was able to fly the highest would be deemed "King of Birds".
Up they all went into the air – sparrows, starlings, thrushes, crows, ravens, hawks, sea gulls . . . birds of every variety – but none could fly as high as the eagle, which soared imperiously above the flock and so declared itself to be king.
Suddenly a wren that had travelled up on the back of the eagle leapt into the air and called out that, as it was higher still, it was the true leader. The furious eagle grabbed the tiny bird and hurled it to the ground, since when the wren has never been able to fly higher than the hedgerows.
But the tiny bird won the day. Because of its wisdom and initiative the other birds acknowledged that, small as it was, the wren was indeed the king of birds.
Just reward for a high flyer.
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