| The unlikely duckling decided, "Enough of this cold weather! I think I'll head south to where it's warmer!" And so he hopped a freight train and rode on down to Philadelphia. The traffic and noise was much louder than he had been used to, but he was so tired that he didn't have enough energy to be frightened. Looking for scraps wherever he could, in open dumpsters or just scattered in alleys from other scavengers, was the only way he survived. Tired from the long train ride and weak from hunger, he dragged his weary body through the streets of Philadelphia. Eventually, he plopped down behind the overgrown hedges up against a Church's Chicken restaurant and fell asleep Though the next day held little promise of being different than the day before, the unlikely duckling pulled himself away from the hedges and began his feeble search for food and shelter. His wanderings eventually led him to stagger into the practice field of Philadelphia's NFL football team, the Eagles. Yes, it was hard to miss noticing the beleagured bird, and as he aimlessly wandered the sidelines, more and more players spotted him. One player approached him in a friendly way, but the unlikely duckling, still wary of anyone getting too close to him, ran to the other side of the field. Thinking quickly, the player dashed off the field and grabbed the costume of their mascot. He put it on and ran back to the field. This time when the player approached the duckling he said no words, but instead danced around him and flapped his wings, like an eagle does when it takes flight. Then, he spread his wings and glided around, showing the unlikely duckling what it's like to soar on currents of air. What happened next startled everyone! The manager, who had been watching from afar, saw an unauthorized visitor on the field, and this was not allowed. So he grabbed a net from the office and crept up on him from behind, intent on surprising the bird. Annette was their executive secretary and she brought contract papers with her, hoping to sign him on as a live mascot. It was a long and rough road, but he had found the peace for which he had long searched. This unlikely 'duckling' had finally found a place where he belonged. He didn't belong to his family of birth, because he wasn't meant to belong there. He never was born a duckling. He is, and always was, an eagle. |