Long ago, a king got two baby eagles (老鹰) as a gift. The eagles were very special, and the king loved them very much. He invited an experienced caretaker to look after them.
As time passed, the king noticed that both eagles grew big and looked even more amazing than before. The king wished to see them fly. However, as the caretaker set them free, one eagle flew high into the sky while the other flew a few meters before returning to its starting branch (树枝).
The king wanted to know why. The caretaker answered, "This eagle always has this problem. It refuses to fly high."
The king felt sorry for the second one. The next day, he said that anyone who could help the second eagle fly high would get great prizes.
Many clever people came, studied and tried, but no one succeeded. After a few weeks, the king nearly lost hope.
Then one day, something strange happened. The king saw both eagles flying high in the sky. He couldn't believe his eyes and called the caretaker over. The caretaker said that a farmer had made the second eagle to fly. He brought the farmer to the king.
The king asked, "How did you do this while those clever men couldn't?"
The farmer replied, "I am a simple farmer and I haven't read and learnt much like them. I simply cut down the branch on which the eagle liked to sit. With no branch, it could only fly away. And it did very well."
