A free children’s story about not giving up and about lifting up others as we grow.

Elly’s Flight

by Chris Pepple © 1992

            Elly felt a gentle breeze blowing across her feathers. She slowly opened her eyes to see the sun peeking over the tips of the mountains.

            “Good morning, my baby,” Elly heard her mother say.

“Baby!” Elly swackled as she stretched and turned to face her mother. “I’m not a baby. I’m Elly the Eagle, and today I’m going to fly!”

Mom shook her head in disbelief. She didn’t think Elly was quite ready to leave the nest yet, but Elly jousted out her favorite song:

            I’m Elly the Eagle

            And I’m gonna fly—

            I’ll be as high

            As a bug in the sky!

“Silly, Elly,” Mom chuckled, “bugs aren’t as high as eagles in the sky. Now you just wait here until I come back.”

Elly watched as Mom soared out of the nest and over the tops of the trees. Soon Mom was out of sight. Elly wondered what else was out of sight. Elly got excited just thinking about it. She thought out loud:

I’m Elly the Eagle

            And I’m gonna fly—

            I’ll be as high

            As a bug in the sky!

            When I fly

            I’m gonna see

            What it looks like

            From the top of the tree

            I’ll see people and dogs

            And maybe even deer

            And I will fly high

                        Without any fear!

                        I’ll fly over lakes,

                        Rivers and streams,

                        How long have I waited?

                        Forever, it seems!

Elly got so excited that she jumped out of the nest without even thinking and hopped over to the edge of the ledge. With one mighty jump, she leaped into the air. For one moment, Elly thought she was flying. Then she realized she was falling.

I thought I could fly

            But this is a fall

            I’ll go SPLAT

            And that will be all!

            HEEEELLLLLPPPP!!!

And Elly fell farther and farther and farther.

Suddenly, Mom appeared out of the clouds. She glided under Elly and caught Elly on her wings. Elly held on tight as Mom soared upwards then landed beside the nest. She told Elly how badly she could have been hurt.

Then she added, “Don’t worry, Elly. One day, you will grow. One day, you will fly.”

And Mom was right. Day after day, Elly practiced stretching her wings. Soon she practiced flying. Day after day, Mom had to catch Elly on her wings. But one day Elly flew on her own. She soared above the tips of the mountains. She glided over tops of trees. She floated over rivers and lakes and streams.

Finally, Elly rested on the soft green grass of a field. She laughed out loud and said:

I’m Elly the Eagle

And I’m gonna fl

I’ll be as high

            As a bug in the sky!

Then she heard a voice. “Silly Elly, bugs aren’t as high as eagles in the sky.”

Elly looked down and saw a little beetle glaring up at her. She wondered why he wouldn’t fly as high as she could. He said he had to stay close to the ground. “That’s just the way things are.”

“No way!” cried Elly. “Just climb on, and I’ll show you—that’s not the way things have to be!”

The beetle was curious, so he climbed onto Elly’s wings. Suddenly both were soaring over the tips of mountains and gliding over the tops of trees.

            I’m Elly the Eagle

            And I can fly—

            Now I’m as high

            As a bug in the sky!