The Vulture and the Eagle
Once upon a time, on the misty crags above the high mountains, there lived a proud vulture and a majestic eagle. On that summit where the harsh winds howled, the vulture loved very much to boast of his own superior talents. The eagle, however, listened to the wind with a dignified bearing and calmly observed the mysterious balance of nature. At every opportunity the vulture spread his wings wide, puffed out his chest and proudly praised his sharp eyes as the master of the sky. These two immense birds came to the threshold of a deep conversation while the redness of the sunset covered the valleys. Casting a provocative glance towards the depths of the valley, the vulture began to show off to the eagle standing beside him. "No other creature in these lands has ever possessed a sight as sharp as my eyes," he said.
Turning his head slowly, the eagle answered, "True sight is not merely making out what is far away, but being able to sense danger." Pretending not to hear these wise words, the vulture let out a mocking laugh and pointed downwards. "Can you see that piece of meat the size of a hazelnut lying among the dense bushes down there?" he asked. The eagle narrowed his eyes and looked at the valley, and at once noticed the suspicious traces around the meat. "I see that meat, but I can also smell the hunter's trap hidden around it," said the eagle. The vulture took this precious warning for a cowardice of the eagle and decided to act at once. "While you die of hunger because of your cowardice, I shall enjoy this delicious morsel!" he cried.
Then, beating his enormous wings, he plunged greedily into a steep dive towards the floor of the valley. The vulture, whose eyes saw nothing but greed, approached his target with great speed. The moment he sank his claws into the piece of meat, the steel trap hidden among the grasses snapped shut violently. With his legs caught in the trap, the vulture began to thrash helplessly, letting out bitter screams. The eagle gliding in the sky landed on the slope beside the trap with a glide in which sorrow and admonition were blended. "You saw the smallest morsel from leagues away, but you could not notice the ruin beneath your own feet," said the eagle. The proud vulture paid the price of his eyes blinded by arrogance by losing his freedom entirely. Those who succumb to their greed and brag of their talent become so blind that they cannot see the greatest dangers before their eyes. He who falls by his own fault does not cry.