Unfriendly Crow
There once was a pigeon that was a Bodhisatta. He lived
happily in the kitchen of a cook. The cook hung up for him a basket for him to
live alongside the other cooks. Everyday the pigeon would fly out in search of
food and at night return. A crow happened to be passing by smelt the food and
went in search of it. The crow saw the pigeon fly in and out of the house at
will. The crow needed to figure out a ay to get into the house so that he might
taste of the food. So, one day the pigeon flew out of the house and the crow
followed him. The pigeon asked the crow why he was following him, and he said
he wanted to be by his side. The Bodhisatta said that was fine but the crow didn’t
eat what he did. The crow said that was fine he would get his own food and just
wanted to be by his side. The pigeon allowed it and they eventually headed home
back to the kitchen. When they got there the cooks hung up a second basket for
the crow. The crow lived in the basket with the pigeon for sometime until he
figured it was safe to eat the food. He played sick all night until morning.
The pigeon knew his plan and tried to council him out of it. The Bodhisatta to no
avail at swaying the pigeon left and said don’t be greedy. He came back to find
the crow with his feathers plucked about to be killed for attempted theft.
Bibliography: Jataka Tales by H.T Francis and E. J Thomas
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