Section 96
The Eagle and His Captor explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Man once caught an Eagle, and after clipping his wings turned him loose among the fowls in his hen-house, where he moped in a corner, looking very dejected and forlorn. After a while his Captor was glad enough to sell him to a neighbour, who took him home and let his wings grow again. As soon as...
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Public-domain original
A Man once caught an Eagle, and after clipping his wings turned him
loose among the fowls in his hen-house, where he moped in a corner,
looking very dejected and forlorn. After a while his Captor was glad
enough to sell him to a neighbour, who took him home and let his wings
grow again. As soon as he had recovered the use of them, the Eagle
flew out and caught a hare, which he brought home and presented to his
benefactor. A fox observed this, and said to the Eagle, "Don't waste
your gifts on him! Go and give them to the man who first caught you;
make _him_ your friend, and then perhaps he won't catch you and clip
your wings a second time."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A captured eagle loses his wings and dignity under human control.
Why this scene matters
This fable shows how captivity can strip away the qualities that made someone great.
Characters in this scene
- Eagle: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- His Captor: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A man catches an eagle and cuts its wings. Another person later restores it, and the eagle regains freedom.