Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

The Great One

The Great Hawk stood on a branch in the Great Tree. All the birds of the meadow were gathered in a semicircle at the bottom of the tree.
"Today, we have lost a beautiful and wonderful member of our community," the Great Hawk announced, his voice catching in his throat. "Today I also realized that I was not living up to the standards of the Great One. I want to step down. I want to nominate a mew candidate fir the positions of the Great One." He looked around at the assembled birds.
"I nominate Madlynne."
I heard Madlynne gasped next to me. "He called me Madlynne," she whispered. Somehow, I knew that that was worth more to her than all the home-patches of the meadow. The Great Hawk had accepted her for who she wanted to be, not for who his power wanted her to be. The rest of the birds looked at her and began cheering.
"Madlynne! Madlynne! Madlynne as the Great One! Madlynne! Madlynne! Madlynne as the Great One!"
I smiled at her. "Shouldn't you say something?" I whispered. She smiled back.
"Oh yeah thanks." She flapped up to a branch lower than the one the Great Hawk was on.
"My name is Medusa Madlynne Ammeri Sharla Kathryn Nikita Lisa the Third, but most of you know me as Madlynne. I would be honored to serve you as the Great One but on one condition." She paused and looked at me. "I want everyone to be treated as an equal, whether they are the Great One, a regular citizen, or a stranger. We are all birds of this world. None of us should be worth more or less than another." The crowd of birds cheered. The Great Hawk dropped down a branch and perched next to Madlynne.
"I am no longer the Great One. I reject the title of the Great Hawk and return my name to Coniferous. I now give you your new protector and leader....
the Great Raven!" The crowd erupted in cheers. The birds of the meadow partied through the night. The Great Raven came up to me.
"Thank you, Ruby," she said. "For everything."