Why the Ostrich Doesn’t Fly

By Lily Liu

            Birds always had wings. They always flew. Even the very big birds like Ostriches flew. Yet some of them did not like the other kinds. The Ostrich was one of these. The Ostrich was proud of her pretty tail feathers.

            One day, there was a dispute. The dispute was about the annual trade festival, where every bird would go and trade one tail feather for another bird’s tail feather.  The Ostrich did not want to give a tail feather, only receive a tail feather.

            On the day of the trade festival, the Ostrich took grass-made tail feathers to trade. When she traded, she traded with everyone. “Now I have so many pretty tail feathers, and other birds have grass on them! The grass will fall off soon.” The Ostrich thought.

            The next day, though, the Ostrich was so heavy he could not lift himself off the ground! There were too many tail feathers and the Ostrich was too heavy!

            And to this very day, Ostriches still cannot fly.