There came a time when all the birds of the forest were faced with a great problem. There was not enough food for them all. Many solutions were offered and the birds began to quarrel among themselves over which was the best option. The eagles, being the leaders of the birds, decided that they would bring the matter to a vote among all of the birds, for surely the solution with the most votes would be the best one. Songbirds cried out their opinions from the sky. Woodpeckers drilled their messages into trees. The eagles gathered every one’s votes.

Many were for the plantation of new trees, despite the amount of work it would take, and many were for a mass migration to a new forest, despite the risk. However, the most popular solution was related to the sparrows. The sparrows were a small group within the forest, kind of loud but they meant well. In the weeks before the vote, rumors spread suggesting they were greedy birds, hoarding food and eating more than their share. The forest’s problems would be solved if they were all killed. The eagles saw this as extreme and cruel, but it was what the birds of the forest had voted for and doing otherwise would risk losing their leadership. The sparrows were hunted to extinction.

The forest fell on many more years of hardship. There was talk of another vote. Groups of bird began to flee. For they knew if the forest turned against them, they would meet the same fate as the sparrows. The eagles found themselves with no birds left to lead, alone in their silent forest.