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And when the thunder storms came, and the lightning flashed, like the other birds he huddled and shivered, wet and cold on the ledges in the side of the canyon. He hated those storms. The thunder was so loud it made the ground tremble. Roaring down the canyon with accompanying echoes it seemed as if each thunderclap would never end. His life was one of constant trembling and fear. He felt out of place and a failure as he lived side by side with the other birds. He definitely knew that he was the ugliest bird of the lot. He was barely subsisting and he was very hungry most of the time. This was not at all like his former home. Something was very wrong, but he got used to it, noise and all.

Then one day, many week later, a great shadow swept over the canyon floor where the birds were eating at the side of the river. All the other birds quickly scattered towards the canyon walls in fear, except for the young eagle. This was his only opportunity to grab some of the food they left behind. The other birds were astounded. They couldn't believe anyone could be so stupid. Even dumb "Faded Feathers" should know better. This could cost him his life. However, the eagle was so hungry he just had to take a daring chance. So he stayed exposed and all alone out in the open by the side of the roaring, foaming and spitting river. The great shadow swept over again. This time he heard and even felt the wind beneath the mighty wings which were only a few inches above his head. He thought he was dead. Crouching, shivering and squealing his funny squawk he peaked out through his feathers on his wings that he was using to cover his head. To his astonishment, what he saw was a bird above him that was the same color as himself. What a big bird it was! It had long brown wings just like his. It even made that funny squawk that sounded a lot like his. Once the magnificent bird had fully landed beside him he instantly recognized who this was. It was his mother. He had been found!

Eagles mate for life. As you might expect the father on seeing the mother and their son, on their return was ecstatic. The eagle himself was extremely happy. At first he would just sit and feel the quietness that he now enjoyed, since he was so far above that small thin river below. After the family (he met his baby sister for the first time) had a chance to calm down and get to know each other all over again the parents began to grow concerned. They were startled by all the things that their son could not do. They were pleased that they were now back in control of their son's life but it troubled them that at times he seemed to act differently. He was not at all like his sister.

For no reason he was timid and shy, fearful of everything and anything that moved. After several hunting excursions which were dismal failures and watching his son very carefully, the father finally concluded that the problem was not in their son's ability to fly or to see or to hear; the problem was in his mind. One night he quietly announced to the mother, "our son is an eagle who thinks that he is a crow." Nothing had prepared them to deal with a son like this. And so the mother and father began to spend endless days explaining to him that he was an eagle. "Those other birds were not eagles, they were crows," they would say, over and over again. "You are a most beautiful eagle." The eagle appreciated the love from his parents but he was not convinced.

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