The Buzzard, The Bat And The Bumble-Bee

If you put a buzzard in a small enclosure or fence of six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, inspite of his ability to fly, will be an abosolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life.


The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, can not take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, untill it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw himself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.


A bumble-bee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there untill it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means to escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. it will seek a way where none exists, untill it completely destroys itself.


In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat and the bee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustations, not realising that the answer is right above them...