The Thinking Bird

Long time ago when our old Earth was covered with green forests unlike the concrete forests today, there lived a hunter and his family. A famine in his village forced him to move his family to another vilage. They travelled through dense forests for many days braving the heat and storms. Hungry and tired they decided to take rest under a great peepal tree one stormy night. Kids were growling with hunger but hunter and his wife could only watch them helplessly and sob silently. The hunter found some dry wood and lit a fire to keep himself and his family warm.

High above on the tree a small bird was watching them while his mate took care of the small fledgelings. The bird imbibed with great moral and ethical values of ancient India, felt pity at their plight. He told his mate "Look dear we have some guests and it is our duty to see that they are not hungry." Then he jumped into the fire offering himself to the hunter's family. The hunter was confounded when he saw the bird jump into fire and thought it to be an accident. Looking at the size of the bird, he prayed silently for few more accidents like that.

Up above on the tree, the she-bird realising that her husband's small body won't suffice their guest's hunger, she bid her young ones goodbye and jumped into the fire. After seeing their parents, how could the fledglings be far behind. They too jumped into the fire.

The hunter oblivious of animal emotions could never realise the greatness of the sacrifice of the bird and its family. He simply thanked the Almighty for the 'accidents' and heartily gobbled up the birds alongwith his family.

Was it hunger or the birds really tasted that good? The hunter and his family were simply delighted and just could not stop praising the God for the tasty food all night. The resourceful hunter woke up early in the morning and caught few more birds and moved to the next city. The birds were a big draw in the city and soon many other hunters forayed into the forest hunting the birds. Within few months, the entire species of the birds was wiped out. As for the hunters they started looking for the new fowls.

Well this was the story of the Thinking Bird. I leave the moral to you.