The Path to Freedom

Evan Englewood Eaglet had a very hard time getting out of his shell. Peck! Peck! Peck! Even using his egg tooth on the tip of his beak piercing such a thick, firm shell was a monumental task that took every ounce of strength he had. Above him, he could feel the warmth of his mother who was taking such good care of him. The round, dull white egg finally started to crack after four days of trying to get out of his shell.

"It's my baby!" exclaimed his mother to his father, Jeffrey. Josephine Jetter Eagle was very excited about her eggs this year. The past two nesting attempts had ended in disaster. The year before, a pair of hawks attacked the nest and destroyed the young eaglets. The year before that a very harsh winter made it extremely hard to find fish, and her young had starved to death.

"We must pray to the Great Eagle Spirit," she said to her mate, Jeffrey. And so it was that the two of them prayed as the sun rose over the North Cascade and Olympic mountains. They watched as the pink sky gave birth to a golden glow over the purple mountain peaks topped with snow. The smell of the tall pine trees filled the air, and it was going to be a clear, sunny day. The white, fluffy clouds were emerging above the golden glow as the sun began to appear fully. Their silhouette showed the fact that his body was slightly smaller than hers.