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The Old Woman and the Eagle
It wasn't very long ago that few Americans even knew where Afghanistan was, much less had any interest in its culture or those of its Central Asian neighbors. While things have changed in that regard, there are still precious few children's books in our country having to do with that part of the world.
This lack makes Hoopoe s award-winning series all the more compelling. These enchanting and beautifully illustrated books, which have delighted children, parents and educators since 1998, are based on traditional stories from Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle east, collected and written for children by Afghan author Idries Shah.
The latest in this series, THE OLD WOMAN AND THE EAGLE will not disappoint. Superbly illustrated by Natasha Delmar, daughter of the celebrated classic Chinese painter Ng Yi-Ching, and intended for children ages 3-8, it tells with gentle humor what happens when an old woman encounters an eagle for the first time. Perplexed by its unfamiliar appearance, she decides to change it to suit her own ideas of what a bird should look like. Her efforts which much to the poor eagle s chagrin, include straightening its beak, trimming its claws and smoothing its feathers mirror a common pattern of human thought: altering the unfamiliar to make it acceptable.
This book, like the previous seven in Hoopoe s series, does more than entertain. It encourages children to think for themselves and helps foster greater insight and mental flexibility in people of all ages. In the process, it also teaches us something about an important but little-known culture.
This lack makes Hoopoe s award-winning series all the more compelling. These enchanting and beautifully illustrated books, which have delighted children, parents and educators since 1998, are based on traditional stories from Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Middle east, collected and written for children by Afghan author Idries Shah.
The latest in this series, THE OLD WOMAN AND THE EAGLE will not disappoint. Superbly illustrated by Natasha Delmar, daughter of the celebrated classic Chinese painter Ng Yi-Ching, and intended for children ages 3-8, it tells with gentle humor what happens when an old woman encounters an eagle for the first time. Perplexed by its unfamiliar appearance, she decides to change it to suit her own ideas of what a bird should look like. Her efforts which much to the poor eagle s chagrin, include straightening its beak, trimming its claws and smoothing its feathers mirror a common pattern of human thought: altering the unfamiliar to make it acceptable.
This book, like the previous seven in Hoopoe s series, does more than entertain. It encourages children to think for themselves and helps foster greater insight and mental flexibility in people of all ages. In the process, it also teaches us something about an important but little-known culture.
Few Americans realize that, prior to the Soviet invasion and subsequent chaos in that country, Afghanistan was a major cultural crossroads, a place where many races lived alongside each other in harmony and where a rich, diverse culture developed over many centuries. THE OLD WOMAN AND THE EAGLE like its fellow Hoopoe titles provides a beautiful and positive representation of that culture when we need it most.
The exquisite illustrations offer a taste of the dress, geography and art of the region. Children delight in the story as they have done for more than a thousand years. At this difficult time, this book can help children get a better understanding of a very important part of the world, what we have in common, and what we can learn from each other.
About the Author
Idries Shah, who died in 1996, spent over 30 years collecting stories from the Sufi tradition and adapting them to contemporary Western culture. His more than three dozen books have been translated into 12 languages. A practical philosophy with deep roots in Afghanistan, Sufism is sometimes mislabeled Islamic mysticism in the West because it is widespread in Moslem countries, although it is not tied to any religion and has included members of all faiths.
Natasha Delmar was born in Hong Kong and raised in Argentina. Now she lives and works in the Bay Area. Natasha learned to paint from her father, the celebrated classic Chinese painter Ng Yi-Ching. This is her first book.
32 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
About the author
Idries Shah
552 books446 followersIdries Shah (Persian: ادریس شاه), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي), was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings centred on magic and witchcraft. In 1960 he established a publishing house, Octagon Press, producing translations of Sufi classics as well as titles of his own. His most seminal work was The Sufis, which appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity devoted to the study of human behaviour and culture. A similar organisation, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), exists in the United States, under the directorship of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.
In his writings, Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam. Emphasising that Sufism was not static but always adapted itself to the current time, place and people, he framed his teaching in Western psychological terms. Shah made extensive use of traditional teaching stories and parables, texts that contained multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection in the reader. He is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Shah was at times criticised by orientalists who questioned his credentials and background. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his older brother Omar Ali-Shah, came in for particular scrutiny. However, he also had many notable defenders, chief among them the novelist Doris Lessing. Shah came to be recognised as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at a number of Western universities. His works have played a significant part in presenting Sufism as a secular, individualistic form of spiritual wisdom.
Idries Shah's books on Sufism achieved considerable critical acclaim. He was the subject of a BBC documentary ("One Pair of Eyes") in 1969, and two of his works (The Way of the Sufi and Reflections) were chosen as "Outstanding Book of the Year" by the BBC's "The Critics" programme. Among other honours, Shah won six first prizes at the UNESCO World Book Year in 1973, and the Islamic scholar James Kritzeck, commenting on Shah's Tales of the Dervishes, said that it was "beautifully translated".
The reception of Shah's movement was also marked by much controversy. Some orientalists were hostile, in part because Shah presented classical Sufi writings as tools for self-development to be used by contemporary people, rather than as objects of historical study. L. P. Elwell-Sutton from Edinburgh University, Shah's fiercest critic, described his books as "trivial", replete with errors of fact, slovenly and inaccurate translations and even misspellings of Oriental names and words – "a muddle of platitudes, irrelevancies and plain mumbo-jumbo", adding for good measure that Shah had "a remarkable opinion of his own importance". Expressing amusement and amazement at the "sycophantic manner" of Shah's interlocutors in a BBC radio interview, Elwell-Sutton concluded that some Western intellectuals were "so desperate to find answers to the questions that baffle them, that, confronted with wisdom from 'the mysterious East,' they abandon their critical faculties and submit to brainwashing of the crudest kind". To Elwell-Sutton, Shah's Sufism belonged to the realm of "Pseudo-Sufism", "centred not on God but on man."
Doris Lessing, one of Shah's greatest defenders,stated in a 1981 interview: "I found Sufism as taught by Idries Shah, which claim
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 2, 2020
Taken from the folk traditions of Afghanistan and Central Asia, this Sufi teaching tale sets out the story of a foolish old woman who, having never before encountered an eagle, doesn't know what to make of one, when she finally does. In the absence of any knowledge, and despite the eagle's stated denial, she decides that he must be a "funny" kind of pigeon, and sets out to "correct" his flaws. After having his tuft of feathers smoothed and combed down, his claws clipped, and his beak straightened, the eagle looks very "funny" indeed! Fortunately, another eagle happens by, helping to set the aquiline victim to rights, and counseling him to avoid those who cannot or will not accept him for what he is...
Well known for adult studies such as The Sufis , as well as for the epic novel Kara Kush , Idries Shah was also a noted collector of folktales from around the world ( World Tales: The Extraordinary Coincidence of Stories Told in All Times, in All Places ), and many of his stories have been presented in picture-book form. It's interesting to me that a number of other reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with The Old Woman and the Eagle, citing the fact that the old woman doesn't really learn the error of her ways, as I think it's clear, by the end of the story, that the reader is meant to identify with the eagle, rather than the woman. This is a story, not about learning to accept the realities of the world and the creatures in it, but about how to respond when the people around you won't accept those realities. That shift of perspective, in and of itself, is really quite fascinating.
I don't know that there is really a very engaging 'story' here, but The Old Woman and the Eagle is still worth reading, both for the idea being presented, and also for Natasha Delmar's appealing artwork, with its lovely decorative borders. Recommended primarily to young folklore enthusiasts (particularly those with an interest in Afghanistan), or to anyone looking for Sufi stories for children.
Well known for adult studies such as The Sufis , as well as for the epic novel Kara Kush , Idries Shah was also a noted collector of folktales from around the world ( World Tales: The Extraordinary Coincidence of Stories Told in All Times, in All Places ), and many of his stories have been presented in picture-book form. It's interesting to me that a number of other reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with The Old Woman and the Eagle, citing the fact that the old woman doesn't really learn the error of her ways, as I think it's clear, by the end of the story, that the reader is meant to identify with the eagle, rather than the woman. This is a story, not about learning to accept the realities of the world and the creatures in it, but about how to respond when the people around you won't accept those realities. That shift of perspective, in and of itself, is really quite fascinating.
I don't know that there is really a very engaging 'story' here, but The Old Woman and the Eagle is still worth reading, both for the idea being presented, and also for Natasha Delmar's appealing artwork, with its lovely decorative borders. Recommended primarily to young folklore enthusiasts (particularly those with an interest in Afghanistan), or to anyone looking for Sufi stories for children.
March 17, 2022
The Old Woman and the Eagle by Idries Shah, Illustrator Natasha Delmar- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of from Middle East where people had seen a pigeon but they had not seen an eagle. An old woman saw an eagle flew down and sat on the door opposite her house. She addressed the eagle as a pigeon and asked her to come near her. Old woman brought a comb and combed he wings near the eagle’s head into straight. She cut her nails short. She turned the beak straight and let him go. The eagle sat on the branch of a tree. Another eagle landed near the first eagle. This eagle ruffed the collar hairs of the first eagle so that he looks like an eagle. Message from the book is that a mand wants to see common pattern of known humans, animals and birds. They try to alter the unfamiliar to make them acceptable to the society. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the narrative. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
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March 13, 2024A story that helps children to think, the coloured illustrations once in a magic paint box. An eagle lands next to an old woman who is used to seeing pigeons. What a peculiar pigeon! She cuts his claws, combs his crest flat, straightens his curved beak until he resembles the bird she is used to seeing. Fortunately another eagle rescues the eagle who has been made to look like a pigeon, curves his beak back into eagle shape, combs up his crest, tells him his claws will grow back. You don't have to be a pigeon if you are really an eagle
December 19, 2010
In connection to a school-wide (K-12) reading project, my students have been learning about Pakistan and Afghanistan and the lives of contemporary children in Central Asia. The goal of my partner teacher and I has been to share a range of stories and ideas that begin to show the diversity of Central Asian peoples and cultures. And while the books we've read have often featured people living on the other side of the world, many of the characters’ challenges connect directly to our challenges in the classroom, in our families, or in our city. And by exploring the similarities we share, in addition to our differences, we have been working to understand that there are many ways to do things and many ways to meet the same set of human needs. By highlighting the differences among people from Central Asia and the differences among the members of our own classroom, we hope to validate and honor the lived experiences of all.
The Old Woman and the Eagle is well represented by the words on the book’s inside flap, which read:
“In this amusing story, an old woman encounters an eagle for the first time. Perplexed by its unfamiliar appearance, she decides to change it to suit her own ideas of what a bird should look like. Her efforts mirror a common pattern of human thought: altering the unfamiliar to make it acceptable. This tale is specifically presented for children by Afghan author Idries Shah, who, for more than thirty years, collected stories from the Sufi tradition and adopted them to contemporary Western culture.”
This story prompted my students to think about the old woman’s confusion at encountering something new, as well as ruminating on what elements of the story could happen in real life and which could not. For example, it was decided unlikely that an eagle could carry a hairbrush and still be able to fly. But there was also a child-led discussion about the differences between birds and humans and how a few key differences (weight and bone density) enable most birds to fly while humans cannot.
For me the lesson of the book pulls in two conflicting directions. First, the old woman in the story doesn't learn to see the eagle for who or what he is. She learns nothing, but I find that sad. However, the eagle learns to avoid those who don't accept him for who he truly is. In the harshness of life, this is a real and relevant lesson. In the end, while I'm frustrated that the old woman's biased, hurtful beliefs don't change, I understand that the story itself can teach my students to be more aware than the old lady, seeing her as a bad example to be avoided.
The Old Woman and the Eagle is well represented by the words on the book’s inside flap, which read:
“In this amusing story, an old woman encounters an eagle for the first time. Perplexed by its unfamiliar appearance, she decides to change it to suit her own ideas of what a bird should look like. Her efforts mirror a common pattern of human thought: altering the unfamiliar to make it acceptable. This tale is specifically presented for children by Afghan author Idries Shah, who, for more than thirty years, collected stories from the Sufi tradition and adopted them to contemporary Western culture.”
This story prompted my students to think about the old woman’s confusion at encountering something new, as well as ruminating on what elements of the story could happen in real life and which could not. For example, it was decided unlikely that an eagle could carry a hairbrush and still be able to fly. But there was also a child-led discussion about the differences between birds and humans and how a few key differences (weight and bone density) enable most birds to fly while humans cannot.
For me the lesson of the book pulls in two conflicting directions. First, the old woman in the story doesn't learn to see the eagle for who or what he is. She learns nothing, but I find that sad. However, the eagle learns to avoid those who don't accept him for who he truly is. In the harshness of life, this is a real and relevant lesson. In the end, while I'm frustrated that the old woman's biased, hurtful beliefs don't change, I understand that the story itself can teach my students to be more aware than the old lady, seeing her as a bad example to be avoided.
February 28, 2015
Shah, Idries. Delmar, Natasha. The Old Woman and The Eagle. (2010). An old lady stands at her balcony feeding the birds and enjoying the beautiful day. An eagle from very high in the sky observes the lady feeding the other birds,and decides to make a visit. The old lady is in love with the powerful eagle, and takes the eagle as a pet. The old lady combs the eagle’s feathers and it also flattens out the beak. Ultimately the eagle leaves and finds another eagle with rough feathers and pointy beak, and it helps out this new eagle with combing and flattening out the beak. Even though the book was in digital version, it was still arranged to be read from right to left, since it was a book in Dari. The concept of reading right to left can be strange and foreign, but ultimately the book tells the same story. Since I do not read Dari, I had to base my understanding of the story strictly from the illustrations, which helped me comprehend the story within the book. The use of clear and detail colors for the illustrations facilitated my understanding. Overall the book has great illustrations, but the story is not too interesting. Target audiences: 4 and up.
July 12, 2008
My, how they giggled at this one. A woman thinks an eagle is a pigeon so she changes his appearance to make him look like one. Then a friend helps change him back.
They thought it was so funny to see the eagle look so goofy. There wasn't much else to it.
I don't know that we'll repeat this, but it wasn't a waste of time.
They thought it was so funny to see the eagle look so goofy. There wasn't much else to it.
I don't know that we'll repeat this, but it wasn't a waste of time.
September 12, 2009
Old woman thinks an eagle is a pigeon and keeps trying to change him. The ending is sad though in a way since the woman does not learn any lesson or change in any way.
July 2, 2010
As an old friend of mine use to say, "I am what I am." (Popeye)
March 10, 2011
AR 3.7 - 0.5 pts
August 3, 2011
A simple book with a very simple story line depicting a common pattern of human behaviour - altering the unfamiliar to make it acceptable.
January 16, 2014
Best book I've read in a while! Read it over and over to any kid who somehow doesn't fit in... and has faced being made over to meet someone else's expectations.
June 20, 2014
Though I see the truth of this message, I am not sure that I like it,... or that it is appropriate for a children's book....
August 11, 2008
A good lesson... avoid those who do not recognize and honor you for who you are.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews