The Animal School
         Once upon a time, the animals decided they must do
    something heroic to meet the problems of "a new world." So
    they organized a school.
         They adopted an activity curriculum consisting of
    running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to
    administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the
    subjects.
         The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact better than
    his instructor, but he made only passing grades in flying
    and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running,
    he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order
    to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet
    were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But
    average was acceptable in school, so nobody worried about
    that except the duck.
         The rabbit started at the top of the class in running,
    but had a nervous breakdown because of so much make-up work
    in swimming.
         The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he
    developed frustration in the flying class where his teacher
    made him start from the ground up instead of from the
    treetop down. He also developed a "charlie horse" from
    overexertion and then got a C in climbing and a D in
    running.
         The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined
    severely. In the climbing class he beat all the others to
    the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to
    get there.
         At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim
    exceedingly well, and also run, climb and fly a little, had
    the highest average and was valedictorian.
         The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the
    tax levy because the administration would not add digging
    and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their
    children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and
    gophers to start a successful private school.
         Does this fable have a moral?