Practicing Patience

Two magpies were racing from one tree to another. They loved to chase each other and be the first to get their food. The owl, on the other hand, loved to sit for hours and watch the forest animals. Occasionally he would swoop down to get a bite to eat, but for the most part he was content to sit in a tree.

The magpies thought it was strange that a bird could sit in the tree all day. Didn’t he want to be the first to get his meal? The magpies approached the owl and asked, “Mr. Owl, why do you sit in the tree all day and wait for your food to come? Why don’t you fly around like us and find your food?”

“I am content to wait for the right time to get my food,” replied the owl.

The magpies didn’t understand the owl. They thought, “There is no such thing as a right time. You have to hurry if you want to get any food at all.” But the owl continued to sit on the limb of the tree and observe from on high while the magpies fluttered around fighting over bites to eat.

On one particular day, the two magpies had not been able to find anything to eat. They were angry and upset. Out of desperation, they decided to try the owl’s trick. They sat in the tree and patiently waited for signs of food. Sure enough, the signs came.