Hello dear friends of steemit, today I found this drawing I made a year ago, and I am motivated to write about these beautiful and enigmatic birds, a very beautiful legend that I found on the web.
In Europe, very close to Greece, there is a country called Albania. The name Albania comes from an ancient and curious legend that you are going to know right now.
The story goes that many, many years ago, a boy got up early one morning to go hunting. He walked quietly towards the mountains and when he reached his destination, he saw how, at the top of one of them, a huge eagle descended from the sky and settled on its nest. What struck him most was that the eagle had a snake, rigid as a stick, well attached with its beak.
- Well, today the eagle is in luck! It's just dawn and you've already got food for your baby!
The queen of the birds, believing that the snake was dead, dropped it with her son and flew up to fetch more.
How wrong I was! As soon as he disappeared on the horizon, the snake uncoiled, opened its mouth and showed its sharp and venomous fangs to the helpless chick. The poor man had no escape and looked at her terrified!
Luckily the hunter was watching everything, and when he was about to sink his teeth, grabbed his bow, sharpened the aim and launched a deadly arrow to the dangerous reptile, which remained quiet forever. Then he ran to the nest, anguished in case the eaglet had suffered any injury.
How glad he was to see that he was safe and sound! With great care, he took it gently in his hands, and caressing the little feathers he moved away from the place.
After a while the eagle returned and saw with horror that its offspring was no longer there. Desperate, she flew over the area at full speed and spotted a young man who was taking him on his way to the city. Rabid, she swooped down and got in his way. - Hey, you, thief! Where are you going with my kid?
- I'm taking it to my house! The snake you hunted was not dead and almost ate it in one bite. I want to put it to safety!
The eagle became sad and her eyes filled with tears. - Are you telling me I'm a bad mother?
- Not in any way! I imagine that you are a good and loving mother like all of them, but you must recognize that you have made a very serious mistake.
- I know and I'm very sorry for it! I'm always looking to protect my little one because I love him more than myself. I swear I thought the snake was dead and that there was no danger.
- Already but…
- It was certainly an oversight and it will not happen again. Give it back to me, please, and I will reward you.
- Oh yeah? And how will you do it?
- I'll be generous with you! I am going to grant you the two most valuable qualities that I possess.
- Two qualities? I do not understand what you mean.
- Yes! From now on you will have a vision as sharp as mine and as strong as these two wings. Nobody can beat you and I assure you that there will come a day when they will call you eagle like me.
The hunter thought it was a fantastic deal and, certainly, the eagle seemed genuinely disconsolate and regretful. In the depths of his heart he felt that he had to give him a new opportunity because, after all, in this life we all make mistakes at some time. Without thinking, he lifted his calloused hands and handed the little baby to his loving mother.
Several springs passed and the promise of the eagle was fulfilled. The boy became a very skilled man and stronger than usual, capable of hunting giant animals and participating in the defense of his city every time enemies came in. A true hero that all the neighbors wanted and admired!
He also spent time for the little harrier, who never forgot who had saved his life when he was a kid. As expected, it grew very much, and when it became a large and beautiful eagle, decided never to separate from his friend the hunter. Always at his side, he protected him day and night from the heights like a watchdog who watches over his master at all times.
The fame of the hunter and his protective bird became so great that all the people began to call him "the son of the eagle", and the land where he lived, Albania, which means "land of the eagle".
I hope the friend 