The Importance of Being Yourself

“Little duck,” said the toad. “Why do you cry?”
“Because I want to be an eagle,” little duck replied.
“And because I can’t fly.
Because I can’t see the world from the top of the sky.
I can’t screech or grab things with my webbed feet.
I can’t do anything more
Than sit in a puddle and watch the eagles soar.”
“Well what can you do?” the old toad said.
Little duckling sat up and shook her head.
“Nothing at all, besides walk on the ground,
And swim in the river, and listen to sounds
Of the earth. And ruffle my feathers to shake off the dirt.”
“Sounds like something important to me:
To be keeper of sounds, to swim so free.
One day, you’ll fly like an eagle, you’ll see.
Until then, be a duckling to the best of your ability.”