If you put a buzzard（秃鹰） in a pen（围栏） six to eight feet square and entirely¹ open at the top, the bird, in spite of its 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 to twelve feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

 

The ordinary bat that flies around at night, who is a remarkable² nimble（敏捷的） 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 to shuffle³ about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation⁴ 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 bumblebee. They are struggling about with all their problems and frustrations⁵, not realizing that the answer is right there above them.

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