Karl Wiener

A strange Bird

There is a strange bird in this world. In English language they call it “Wren”. In the United States, I believe, its name is “Trump”. In German language they call it "Fence-King" and tell each other the following legend:

Every four years in autumn, when the days go shorter and the leaves on the trees began to turn colored, the animals gathered in a large forest meadow as to elect their king. One year the mighty lion was elected king of the animals, another time it was the clever fox or the strong bear. This time the animals had decided that a bird as king of the air should rule the animal kingdom. They wanted to make the one bird their ruler, who possesses the strength to rise above all others. Everyone immediately thought of the Condor, the largest bird in the world, whose wings, stretched out, measured four meters from tip to tip, or of the eagle, which was known for its strength and sharp eyes.

After the pigeon, the chicken, the duck and other applicants had tried their luck, the eagle spread its wings and rose to inconceivable heights, to which none of the competitors could follow. However, it had not noticed, that a small colorful bird was hiding in its plumage. Unnoticed, this let itself be carried up on the eagle's back.

When the eagle, certain of its victory, finally prepared to glide back to earth, the stowaway detached itself from the eagle's back in order to gain by hasty flaps of wings a few more meters in height. But soon its strength ran out and it had to give up his soaring flight. It returned to the ground, completely exhausted. There it puffed up its feathers, proud as a peacock and declared itself the winner of the competition, because it had flown higher than any other bird. To announce its claim, it hopped on a fence post, proclaimed itself king of the animals and sung a song of praise for itself and his kingdom.

However, the other animals had noticed the bird's ruse and did not want to tolerate it. They wanted it been chased away from its undeserved position. But the bird insisted on its supposed right. Down from the fence post it insisted loudly on its royal dignity. Finally, the animals turned away from it and ridiculed it as a "King of the Fence". The strange bird itself doesn't give up and twitters still down from its fence post: “I am the greatest one ever”.

 

All rights belong to its author. It was published on e-Stories.org by demand of Karl Wiener.
Published on e-Stories.org on 01/08/2021.

 
 

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