The Partridge and the Crow

Once there was a partridge living in a forest called Kanishka.  The partridge lived there for many years.  It made its nest in the floor of the forest.  Every day it would come out of its nest in the ground and go around scouring for leaves and seeds in the forest floor.  The forest was a huge one and finding food was not difficult.  There were many fruit bearing trees in the forest.  These trees would bear fruit.  The fruits would fall down to the ground after they had fully ripened, releasing the seeds.  Kanishka and his partner lived in the nest with their chicks.  Kanishka would carry the seeds in his beak to feed his chicks.

The forest was also home to many other birds such as crows, eagles, mynahs and peacocks.  Near the place where the Kanishka had made his nest lived a group of crows.  The crows lived by eating leftover food in the nearby villages or by scavenging on some dead animal in the forest.  Sometimes, they would slyly pick food carried by some traveller who chanced to pass through the forest.

Kanishka knew one of the crows in the group. He was called Kalaraja.   He had known Kalaraja since he was a small chick.  They were good friends.   They talked of many things – about their families and their food habits.  The crow lived in a nest high up in the trees.

One hot summer day, many years later, the birds of the forest had found shelter perched in the branches of the trees.  There they were safe against the heat of the day.  They waited there for the heat to subside in the evening.  Kanishka too was perched in one of the branches of the trees.  His chicks had grown up now.  They too had flown up with him to cool themselves under the branches.
It was evening.  The peace of the forest was suddenly disturbed by the sound of the men and animals.  The birds looked down to see a group of people passing through the forest.  They were carrying utensils and pots on the heads.  They were carrying butter to be sold in the market.  The crows looked down at them.    They liked butter a lot.  It would surely be a welcome break from the boring food they had been eating all week round.

Kanishka’s friend, Kalaraja too had seen the butter.  He could not control himself.  But he had to be careful.  The people carried long sticks as they walked through the forest floor.  They kept swinging it over their heads.  They too knew about the clever crows.  They were careful.  If the crow managed to put its beak into one of their pots, the butter would get spoilt.  They would, then, have to dump the entire butter in the waste.  It would be a big loss to poor people like them.

Kalaraja flew from his perch and hovered over the travellers.  He soon noticed that one of them had forgotten to cover the pot he was carrying in his head.  This was his opportunity.  He would have an easy meal.  He flew low over the unsuspecting person and in quick swoop managed to carrying a big scoop of butter in its beak.  It was indeed tasty.  Kalaraja offered some of the butter to his friend Kanishka.  But Kanishka would not have anything to do with stolen things.  He was an honest bird.
He only watched from a distance.  Kalaraja wanted to have some more butter.  He did his feat again.  He swooped low and came back with another piece of butter in his mouth.  He offered the butter to Kanishka again.  Kanishka refused to have it.  Kalaraja ate the piece and then swooped down again to steal some more.

He came back with yet another piece in his mouth.  He called out to Kanisha to taste some.  Kanishka was having second thoughts.  “What is the harm in tasting butter once a while?”, he thought.  Since, He reasoned that since Kalaraja had already stolen the butter, he would not be doing anything wrong by just tasting it.   He decided to taste the butter just once.  He flew from the branch where Kalaraja was hovering.  Kalaraja was happy to see his friend.  He descended again and dived into the pot and brought a large morsel of butter.  He offered it to Kanishka who tasted it.  It did taste good.  It was different from the seeds he ate all the time.

While Kanishka was thus relishing his new food, the villager carrying the pot had noticed the havoc the crow had caused.  He had carried the pot for such a long distance from the village in the hot sun.  Now, all the butter in the pot had got spoilt.  He would not be able to sell anything in the village market.   He was furious.

He put down his pot and took out his catapult which he was carrying in his sash.  He looked above to see the birds which had caused such loss to him.  As he lifted his eyes up, he saw Kanishka and Kalaraja with the butter still dripping from their beaks.  He was enraged.  He took a stone, put it in his catapult and shot it.  He stone whirred up and stuck Kanishka in the breast.  Kanishka fell down to the ground.    This was the end of poor Kanishka.

Children, this story tell us to stay away from our friends when they do wrong things.  When we are with people who do wrong things, we too will be caught and be punished.

The Owl and the Crow

Pakshivan was a huge forest.  It was home to hundreds of different birds.  There were parrots, eagles, peacocks, hornbills, magpies, sparrows, egrets and cranes.  The forest was a true paradise of birds where everyone lived in harmony with one another.

Things went along quietly in the forest.  The trees where the birds lived provided plenty of food.  The cool waters of the river which flowed through the forest provided for drink.

One day, the birds had an idea.  Life was good but it was boring.  The birds had everything they wanted but were still dissatisfied.    They thought, “Maybe we should have a king over us.  He will guide us and make us do something.  He may have ideas on how to improve things in the forest and make life more interesting”.

The parrot was the first to have this idea.  He was very talkative.  He soon met all other birds and the idea spread through the forest.  Some birds felt that a king was unnecessary.  But many agreed with the parrot.

Now that everyone agreed that the birds needed a king, the next step was to find a suitable person who would serve as the king.  After thinking for a long time, the birds finally decided on the owl.

The Owl was very happy.  “We must have a grand coronation for our king”, the peacock said, “All the other animals of the forest should envy us and respect us even more”.  The other birds agreed.

They set about making the arrangements for the big day.  The birds chose a dry lake bed in the middle of the forest as the venue where they would crown the new king.

The birds flew far and wide across the forest and collected the choicest flowers to decorate the venue.  The parrot brought the most tasty fruits from the trees.  The  peacock decorated the throne of the new king with his own feathers.  Every bird contributed in its own way.

A crow was passing by the forest.  He was curious to know the reason for this hectic activity.  He asked a few birds about this. “We are going to have a new king”, the birds said.  “Who is the king?”, the crow asked.  “He is an owl.”, they replied.

The crow was amused.  “How could anyone have an owl as a king?”, he thought.

The crow had come in search of food.  He lived in a village nearby.  He was a very inquisitive bird.  Nothing gave him more pleasure than interfering in the affairs of others.

He flew over the venue of the proposed coronation.  A peacock was busy readying the throne for the

new king.

The crow went to the peacock and said, ”I know that you are having a coronation”.  The peacock nodded with pride.  The crow continued, “I fail to understand as to how an owl can become the king of the birds”.  The peacock looked, shocked at the crow’s arrogance.  He gave an angry look.

The crow then said, “You are such a beautiful bird.  How can a bird as ugly as an owl be your king”.

The peacock thought for a while.  There appeared to be reason in what the crow said.  “Why did I not think of this earlier?”, he said to himself.  He stopped working.

The crow flew away and met the parrot who was busy collecting fruits to serve the guests on the big day.

“You are such a sweet bird.  You can even talk.”, he told the parrot.  “How can a bird who can just make hooting noises be king over you.”, he said to the parrot. The parrot too felt like the peacock.  He felt that he had been misguided.

The crow flew around the forest and met the other birds and told them the same thing.  Soon, all the birds felt that they had made a wrong decision.  The owl was in no way better than they.

Gradually, all the arrangements for the coronation of the owl came to a halt.

The owl meanwhile was getting ready for the big day.  When he heard of the cancellation of the coronation, he was furious and disappointed.  He sent other owls, who were his friends, in search of the crow.   The owls found the crow talking to a partridge.  He was again explaining why the owl would be a bad king.

The angry owls fell upon the crow and attacked him.  The crow was lucky to have escaped. He was severely injured.  He flew away to the village he came from.  He never dared come near the forest again.

Children, this story teaches us not to be intrusive and needlessly interfere in others’ business.  We should give our opinion and advice only if someone asks for it.

The Innocent Deer, the faithful Crow and the Wily Jackal

Chintu was a deer who lived in a forest.    He had few friends.  One of those friends was a crow.  The crow and Chintu were very close friends.  The crow would hop on to Chintu’s back and the two would spend hours talking together.  They would talk about their lives, their interests and ideas and the general affairs in the forest.  Chintu was a deer who trusted people easily.  He would become friends very soon with anyone.  The crow too was a gentle bird with a kind heart.  The two made great companions.

There also lived a jackal in the forest.  The jackal was a mean and cunning animal.  A smooth talker, he was ready to do anything for a few morsels of food.  The jackal met the deer while he was grazing.  He soon struck a conversation.  Chintu was an innocent animal.  He soon fell for the jackal’s talk.

The crow observed this friendship with dismay.  He knew that the jackal was a crafty creature who had made friends with many other animals in the forest before.  All those animals had disappeared mysteriously.  The jackal was, in fact, an accomplice to a hunter who lived in a village on the edge of the forest.  He would befriend unsuspecting animals in the forest and then lure them to a place where the hunter lay in wait.  The hunter would kill the poor animals and throw a few pieces of leftover meat to the jackal for food.

The crow had warned Chintu about the shady jackal.  But Chintu was too naïve.   He dismissed the crow’s warnings.  A few days later, Chintu and the jackal were talking together.  The jackal told Chintu that there was a place in the forest that he would never have seen before, a place with lots of sweet grass and a cool stream to relax nearby. Chintu was curious to see the new place.  However, he was also wary.

Sensing his discomfort, the jackal reassured him. “It is only a short distance from here”, he said, “We can return by evening”. Chintu did not know of the jackal’s evil plan.  The evening before, the jackal had told the hunter to wait at that place.  Soon, they reached the place.  The place was indeed beautiful.  Chintu was admiring the beauty of the place when he heard a noise behind him.  Before he could realize what was happening, a net flew over and fell on him.  Alas, he was trapped.  The hunter

who was hiding behind a tree stepped forth.  The jackal gave him a wicked grin.

Chintu was struck by fright.  He knew that he would be killed soon.  “It is all over.” he told himself.    Just then, the hunter left the place to fetch his club with which he would kill the deer.  He had left it a short distance away at a tent in which he stayed.

The jackal too went along with him.  The hunter gave some tidbits to the jackal as reward.  In the meanwhile, the crow, the faithful friend of Chintu had happened to fly across the area in search of food.  He saw the commotion in the ground and flew down to investigate.  He was shocked by what he saw.

The situation was indeed serious.  In a few moments his friend would be dead.    He had to act fast.  The crow hit upon a plan.    He flew beside the deer and whispered something in his ear.  Chintu was happy to see his good friend.  He listened carefully to the crow.    In a moment, the deer dropped down as if dead.  The crew sat on him and pretended to peck at his skin as if he were pecking a dead animal.

When the hunter returned, he was upset to see that his deer was “dead” and a crow pecking at its flesh.  He would not eat anything that was already dead.  He only wanted what he himself had freshly killed.

He moved forward and lifted his net which he had cast over the deer.   In an instant, the deer sprang to life and ran away as fast as his legs would carry him.  The crew flew away too.  The hunter saw this and his anger knew no bounds.  He knew that he had been cheated.  Enraged, he threw the club he was carrying at the deer.  The club missed the deer and hit the cunning jackal who was standing by, killing him on the spot. That was the end of the wily jackal.   The deer escaped from danger thanks to the quick thinking of the crow.

Children, this story tells us not to trust people blindly.  There are many people who talk sweet and take advantage of our friendship.  This story also tells us to think quickly and to apply our mind when we are in danger.  A clever idea can easily turn even a difficult situation around.

The Crow, the Eagle and the Sheep

There was once a very beautiful valley.  The valley was situated between two mountains.  Plants with beautiful flowers could be found in the valley.  The floor of the valley was carpeted with a green carpet of grass.  Shepherds from neighbouring villages would bring their sheep to graze on the luxuriant grass.

The two tall mountains stood majestic over the valley.  The valley lay between them.  It was a beautiful sight.  Flocks of sheep grazed here and there.  From the distance, the white sheep  looked like pieces of cotton lying on the valley.

The shepherds who brought the sheep into the valley also brought shepherd dogs with them.  These shepherd dogs would run about the sheep.  They would prevent the sheep from getting away from the flock.  These dogs would also protect the sheep from their enemies such as wolves.
At the head of every flock was a sheep with a bell around its neck.  This was the bellwether sheep.  As the sheep moved its head while grazing, the bell around its neck would ring.  The other sheep would hear its sound and move along with the flock.

However, not all was peaceful as it appeared.  High in the mountains, an eagle had built its nest in a space between the rocks.  The eagle had just hatched a clutch of eggs.  It had two baby chicks.  Every day the eagle would leave the nest and fly far and wide over the mountains in search of food.  It would bring home small animals such as rabbits, lizards, even snakes.

Occasionally, the eagle would swoop down into the valley and pick a small lamb when the shepherds were not looking.  It was a dangerous business.  The shepherds had sharp pointed sticks with which they would try to drive away the eagle.  The dogs which guarded the sheep would also chase the eagle away.   The eagle had to catch the right size of sheep.  If it tried to catch a heavy animal, it would not be able to lift it and it would have to abandon its prey.

It was a bright sunny day in the valley.  The sheep were grazing in the valley.  As the sun rose higher in the sky and the weather became hot, the few shepherds who guarded the sheep sat down under some nearby trees for some rest.  The dogs which guarded the sheep were also lying down.    Taking advantage of the opportunity, the eagle soared high in the sky – so high that nobody on the ground could see it.

Eagles have very sharp vision.  From high in the sky, the eagle looked down at the valley.  He could see the individual sheep clearly.  It looked across the flock to find an easy meal.  He settled for a young lamb that had strayed away from the flock.

Quick as lightning, the eagle swooped down.  Its sharp claws clasped the lamp.  In seconds, the eagle was on its way up with the helpless lamb in its claws.  While all this was happening, a crow watched the spectacle from a tree in the valley.  He was amazed at how easy the eagle got its meal.  The crow had to fly over a huge area to get some food.  In spite of that he would only get leftovers and rotting food to eat.  It was surprised to see such an easy meal lie very near his place.

He needed to do only what the eagle just did, or so he thought.   He wondered why he did not think of this before.  He would not longer fly around in search of food all day.  The next day, the crow woke up early in the morning.  He waited patiently for the shepherds to arrive with their flocks.
He waited till the noon as the shepherds lay down under the trees.  The dogs too were not to attentive.

The crow then flew high in the sky just as he though the eagle had done.  The eagle could rise hundreds of feet into the air.  It could also dive fast.  The crow could fly only a short height above.  Nevertheless, the crow rose into the air.  From there, it looked down at the flock.  It saw a fat sheep in the herd.  “Surely, this sheep would provide food for over a month”, it thought.

Congratulating himself, the crow flew down and clasped the wool on the sheep’s back.  As he tried to lift the sheep, the crow discovered that it could not.  The crow was not strong enough to lift a sheep.  Surprised, the crow tried to fly away.  But to his shock, he found that his claws had got entangled in the sheep’s wool.  The crow now grew terrified.  He tried desperately to free himself from the wool but in vain.

As the crow struggled to free itself, the sheep got frightened.  They began to bleat.  The dogs were woken by the noise from the herd.  As they came nearer they saw the crow.  The crow was cawing helplessly.  The dogs pounced on the crow and killed it.  That was the sad end of the crow who tried to imitate an eagle.

Children, this story teach us not to blindly imitate anyone.  Every person will have a particular way of doing things.  Besides, it is not possible to do everything someone is doing.  Before, doing anything it is better to see if we have the skills and the strength to do it.

The Crow and the Beautiful Bird

 Once upon a time, there lived a crow called Kaalpakshi. Kaalpakshi lived in small town. He lived a happy life. But he had one grievance. He felt that he was black and ugly. He felt bad about himself because of this. One day, when Kaalpakshi was perched on the tree, he saw a beautiful bird. He had never such a bird before. It was a crane.

The Crane flew over the town and landed on the tree where the crows had made their home. It perched itself on a branch near the top of the tree. The bird was, indeed, beautiful. Its long feathers shone in the bright sun. They were soft and lustrous and as white as snow. Kaalpakshi felt all the more ugly in the presence of the crane. Gathering courage, he approached the crane and talked to him. The crane was a pleasant and amiable bird. Kaalpakshi complimented the crane on his good looks. “You look very beautiful”, he said, “You are not ugly like us, the crows”. The crane said, “I am not beautiful either. I am pure white in colour. There is no other colour in my body. A few miles away, there is another huge tree. The huge tree is home to many parrots. They are green in colour with bright red beaks. They have a red ring around their neck. They are the most beautiful birds I have seen”.

 Kaalpakshi grew curious. He had never seen a parrot before. “Can there be birds more beautiful than this crane”, he wondered. Kaalpakshi asked the crane if he would take him to where the parrots lived. The crane obliged. The next day, they reached the parrots’ tree. They spotted a parrot sitting in a branch nearby. The crane and Kaalpakshi went up to the bird. They told him why they had come. They were full of admiration for the parrots. “You are the most beautiful birds I have seen so far”, Kaalpakshi said.

The parrot was happy to hear their words of admiration. “We are indeed beautiful”, he said, “but I feel that we have only two colours. There is another bird a short distance from here. The bird is so beautiful that all the colours in the world can be seen in its bright plumage. It has a graceful gait and it can dance. All the people from the towns far and near come to see and marvel at its beauty. They extol its beauty in song and poetry. The bird lives in a cage.” They asked the parrot to lead them to the bird he had just described. The parrot agreed. It was already dark by then.

The crane and the crow stayed in the tree for the night. The next morning, they flew over to the place where the colourful bird stayed. It was a zoo and the colourful bird, the parrot was talking about, was a peacock. The Peacock was locked in a large cage. There were a few fruits on the floor. The cage was surrounded by people who looked at the bird. Some of them took photographs. The bird appeared to be stressed by all the attention and noise. It hid itself in a corner of the cage. A few mischievous schoolboys threw small stones at the poor bird.

 The parrot, crane and the crow flew down and perched on the outside of the cage. Soon the boisterous crowd left and the peacock was alone. The crow told the peacock why they had come. “You must be the most beautiful bird in the world”, the crow said, “You must also be the happiest”. The Peacock replied, ”Once upon a time, I too thought so. But not any more. This beauty has become a curse for me. I have been locked up in this cage because I am beautiful. I have lost my freedom.” 

The crow felt sad and confused. He had thought that beauty gives you happiness. The peacock said, ”If only I had been born a crow I would not suffer this way. Nobody trifles with the crow. They are free birds who can fly wherever they want and live as they please. They must be the happiest birds”. The crow was surprised to hear this. “Is being a crow really a blessing ?”, he thought to himself. The crow felt sorry for the peacock.

 The birds stayed there for a while and then left. Kaalpakshi came away from the zoo a wiser bird. He no longer felt inadequate or inferior about himself.

Children, this story tells us to first love ourselves. We need to be happy about who we are and our circumstances. Too often, we wish we were someone else. Everyone has problems and shortcomings. The secret to being happy is to accept ourselves and our situation. Happiness will then come on its own.

How the cunning crow brought tragedy upon himself

Shishupal was a squirrel who lived in the forest of Jalvan.  There, in the sheltering branches of a peepul tree, Shishupal and his wife built a nest.  They made the nest out of coconut fibres, dried leaves and mud. They took great care in its construction and ensured that it was cosy and warm.  They had a good and happy reason.  They were expecting babies.

In course of time, on a sunny morning, squeaks could be heard from the nest.  The night before, Shishupal’s wife had given birth to four baby squirrels.

Things went peacefully in the forest. There were no predatory animals to prey upon them.  All the animals led lives of quiet and contentment.

One day, a crow happened to fly across the forest.  He was looking for a place to build his nest.  He lived in another part of the forest.

As he flew over the trees, he spotted the peepul tree where the squirrels lived.  He liked the tree. He swooped down and settled on one of the branches.

He spotted a place near the trunk.   The place was at a location where two branches met the tree.  “The place would be ideal”, he thought, “This would good support to the nest”.  But there was a problem.  The place was already occupied because that is where the squirrels had also built their nest.

The crow’s heart was set on the place.  He wanted the place at any cost.  He waited until evening, when the squirrels returned after a day’s wandering in search of food.

The crow approached the Shishupal, the squirrel and asked him to vacate the place.  The squirrel refused, “I am raising my babies here.”, he said, “You can find some other place.”

The crow was angry at being rebuffed by the squirrel.  He was a proud and haughty bird.  He had a contemptuous and low opinion of any animal smaller than himself.

He flew back to his home.  That night as all the animals in the forest slept, the crow was awake and thinking.  Sometime before daybreak, he hit upon an idea.

That morning, he flew alone to a part of the forest.  This was were the snakes lived.  It was a pit in the forest floor.  It had, originally, been a pond.  But the pond had dried many years ago and the snakes had made it their home.

A few months ago, he had made an acquaintance with a snake.  The crow thought that he might use the snake’s help.  He flew low over the area and alighted on a branch.  The snakes were slithering in the ground below.  He looked around and spotted the snake he knew.

He flew closer and sat next to him.  He greeted the snake and explained his problem.  He then spelt out his evil plan.  He would carry the snake to the tree.  The snake was to creep up the tree during the daytime when the parents would be away and eat the baby squirrels.  The grieving parents would then abandon the nest.  The snake agreed.  He was happy that he would be getting something to eat.

That night the crow carried the snake in its claws and flew across the forest.  He landed at the foot of the tree and placed the snake there.  He then flew away.   The snake slithered beneath a rock near the tree.

The next morning, as the squirrels left their nest, the snake crawled up the tree.  The helpless babies in the nest stood no chance.  The snake devoured them one by one.

When the parents returned they were devastated.  Their babies were gone.  The squirrels grieved over their loss for many days.  Heartbroken, they abandoned their nest and went away.

This was what the crow wanted.  The very next day, he gathered some twigs and built his own nest.  A few days later, his partner laid eggs in them.  A few weeks later, chicks hatched out of them.  The crow was happy and very proud of them.  He flew far and wide and gathered food for his hungry chicks.

One day, when he went out as usual and returned in the noon, he found his chicks missing.  He searched for the chicks desperately.  There was no trace of them.  Finally, he found some feathers at the foot of the tree.  It was then that he understood what had happened.  The snake he had carried to the tree had swallowed his own chicks.

The crow was stunned.  He cursed himself for his stupidity.  But his chicks were no more.

Children, this story teaches us not to be wicked or cunning.  Evil and cunningness will eventually backfire on us.  We need to be honest and never covet something that belongs to another person.