The Snake and The Crows

THE SNAKE AND THE CROWS

Once upon a time, there stood a huge pee-pal tree on the outskirts of a small village. On this tree there lived a pair of crows with their young ones. And at the root of the tree there lived a big black serpent in a deep hole. Every time the crows laid their eggs, the serpent crept up the tree and ate all the eggs and the young ones. With the result, the crows were never able to raise their young ones. This made the crows very sad. They didn't know how to get rid of the killer serpent.

One day, the crows went to a fox. The fox was their intimate friend.

"Hello dear friends, come in", said the fox seeing the crows at his door, "You two seem to be very sad. What's the matter?"

"The root cause of our problem is a black serpent. He is after us. He eats up our eggs and the young ones. Please help us get rid of this bloody serpent," said the female crow to the fox.

The fox too was shocked to hear this sad story. She promised to help the crows.

She thought for a few minutes and then laid out a plan before the crows.

"Listen carefully", said the fox, "you know where the king's palace is situated. You've also seen the queen taking bath in an open swimming pool, inside the palace. The queen, while taking bath always removes all her ornaments and keeps them on a tray kept by the side of the pool. While she is busy taking her bath, you two swoop down upon the tray and pick up two diamond ornaments from it. Drop them into the serpent's hole. The servants of the queen will come chasing you and finding the ornaments into the serpent's hole, they will first kill the serpent to save them from being bitten by it and then will take the ornaments out of the hole. Thus, the serpent will be killed and you too will be saved from all the troubles of killing it by yourself."

This was a very bright idea. The crows liked it. They flew to the king's palace. There they saw the queen taking bath in a swimming pool. She had removed her ornaments and kept them in a tray. The crows swooped down upon the tray, picked up two expensive diamond necklaces from it and flew towards the snake's hole. The guards ran after the crows brandishing their sticks and swords. They chased the crows and soon reached that big pee-pal tree, where the big black snake lived. They found the diamond necklaces, lying inside the serpent's hole. Afraid of the snake, they first killed the snake by sticks and swords and then took out the ornaments and returned to the palace.

The crows thanked the fox for his help and lived happily in the pee-pal tree, thereafter.

Moral:  Intelligence is greater than strength.