The Gift Of Flying

Once upon a time there was a little boy who wished he could fly like a bird.  It was difficult for him to understand why he could not fly. He saw birds at the zoo much bigger than he was and they could all fly. "Why O’ why can’t I fly he asked himself".

Across town was another little boy; this boy had contracted polio when he was an infant and could not walk.  His wish was that some day he would be able walk and run like all the other boys and girls.

One day the little who wanted to fly like a bird became upset with his parents decided to run away from home.  After walking several hours he came upon a city park where he saw the little boy who could not walk playing in the sandbox.

He walked over to the little boy and asked him if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird.  "No," said the little boy “however I have always wondered what it would be like to walk and run like other boys and girls." "That is very sad," said the little boy who wanted to fly.

"Would you like to be friends so we can play together in the sandbox?  "Sure," said the other little boy come on in the sandbox.

The two boys played for almost an hour making sand castle after sand castle. Then the little boy's father walked over pushing a wheelchair.  He was there to pick up his son and take him to the car. The little boy who had always wanted to fly ran over to meet his new friend’s father and whispered something into his ear.  "I guess that would be OK," said the boy’s father.

The little boy who had always wanted to fly like a bird ran over to his new friend in the sand box and said, "You are a good friend to me; I wish that there was something I could do to make you walk and run like other little boys and girls. But I can't; however there is something I would like to do for you – if you will let me."

He then turned around, squatted down and told his new friend to climb on his back. When the little boy was secure on his back the other boy began to run across the grassy field.  Faster and faster he ran.  The faster he ran the more the wind just brushed across the faces of the two little boys.

Suddenly the little boy's father with the wheelchair began to cry … he started to cry uncontrollably.  For as he watched his beautiful son riding on the back of his new friend he saw his young son flap his arms up and down in the wind and begin  shouting at the top of his lungs…"LOOK DADDY- I'M FLYING – I REALLY AM FLYING DADDY!"