History of Sorts

The eagle flies high in the sky on a warm, sunny day. He wonders if he can fly to the sun. Because he is the ruler in the skies, no one can stop him. He can go wherever he wants to go—free to roam, not restricted by anyone or anything.

During his flight, a strange sight caught his eye: a station platform packed with families and men in uniforms. The families board a train, and the men in uniform bully them into hurrying up. It was a strange sight but not unfamiliar; he had seen it before.

High up in the sky, the eagle feels safe and secure. He can see for miles and miles, and he can detect any enemy with great ease from a great distance.

As he flies and looks down, he sees two lines, and on those lines, he sees something moving. He decides to have a closer look. Quickly, he recognizes a railway and a fast-moving train on it. Maybe it is the train he saw earlier that day.

He dives to have a closer look, and to his shock, he sees people in cars, which are usually used for cattle. Why? he wonders. There is no joy in this moving train; he hears the echoes of many cries. The sight and sound disturb him. He also sees some men in uniforms. The eagle also sees an emblem of a bird; in fact, it is a depiction of an eagle.

He is angry and wants to destroy the emblem, and attack the people who worship it . But he is afraid because the uniformed men are heavily armed.

Confused, he flies away. Why are these people using the picture of his species on a train? The eagle is a noble and majestic creature, these men aren’t. Why are they heavily armed? The people they are transporting have no weapons, in fact they have very little, Some have a single suitcase, others have nothing.

He flies away, going about his own business.

In the distance, he sees some kind of settlement. He decides to go and look, Check out the facilities, and see if there is some food. Surely there must be something there for him, a mouse, a squirrel, or any kind of rodent.

When he approaches, he sees another platform, another train, and yet again, two lines. This time, the train is standing still, and the lines aren’t a railway. They are two lines of people. One line consists of young, healthy-looking men and some women. The other line is different. It includes Young children with their Mothers, some pregnant, and older people who appear to be infirm.

A group of armed men and some women have told this line to start moving. The line approaches a set of buildings, one of which has two chimneys. The eagle decides to rest its weary wings on one of the chimneys.

As they enter one of the buildings, the people in the line are told to get washed and shower.

The eagle listens but is surprised by the sounds. He hears no running water; all he hears is the sound of women and children screaming, followed by an eerie silence. The eagle is upset; he realizes what has happened. It is hard for him to comprehend that one species can cause so much pain to its own fellow species. Aren’t human beings supposed to be intelligent? Don’t they realize that when they kill their own and especially children, soon no one will be left? What species takes pleasure in destroying its own future?

The eagle is sad. Suddenly, he feels ashes coming from the chimney on which he is resting.

He flies away; he does not want to stay one second longer in this horrid place. The eagle flies high in the sky, it is a warm sunny day. He wonders if he can fly to the sun because he no longer wants to stay here.

He takes one more look and realizes his freedom can’t be taken away. He feels sad for those who will never regain their freedom again.