If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and
entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability
to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a
buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of
ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit,
he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner
for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably
nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level
place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it
can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully,
until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can
throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like
a flash.
A Bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there
until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the
means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find
some way out through the sides near the bottom.
It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely
destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the
bat, and the bee. They are struggling about with all their
problems and frustrations, not realizing that the answer is
right there "above" them.