The Crow and the Owl: A Famous and Inspiring Story
Long ago, in a dense forest, the birds held gatherings. Animals would share their troubles with the king, who would find solutions. But one forest had a king, a Garuda, who was completely absorbed in devotion to Lord Vishnu. This bothered the other birds – herons, parrots, cuckoos, and pigeons – so they called a general assembly. In unison, all the birds declared that their king, Garuda, paid them no heed. A peacock then stated that they needed to personally visit Vishnu loka to address their problems. All the animals were suffering, yet the king remained unmoved. At that moment, a hoopoe proposed a new king. The cuckoo cooed and the rooster crowed in support. Thus, after hours of discussion, the troubled birds unanimously decided to choose a new king.
Meetings were now held daily to select a king. After several days of deliberation, the birds collectively chose an owl as their king. With the new king's election, all the birds embarked on preparations for the owl's coronation. Sacred water was brought from various holy sites, and the king's throne began to be adorned with pearls. After all preparations were complete, the day of the owl's coronation arrived. The crown, garland, and all other items were ready. Parrots chanted mantras, but two parrots urged the owl to first visit the Lakshmi temple for worship before the coronation. The owl readily agreed and flew off with the two parrots to conduct the puja.
Meanwhile, witnessing all the preparations and festivities, a crow arrived. "What is all this commotion? Why such a celebration?" the crow inquired.
The peacock replied, "We have chosen a new king for the forest. Today is his coronation, and all these decorations are for it." Hearing this, the crow, enraged, exclaimed, "Why was I not invited to this decision? I am also a bird!" The peacock quickly retorted, "This decision was made at a gathering of forest birds. You have long since moved to the human settlements, the villages and towns." "Who did you choose as king?" demanded the irate crow. The peacock answered, "An owl." The crow's anger reached a peak; he beat his head repeatedly, cawing loudly. "You are all fools!" the crow cried. "You chose an owl as king, an animal that sleeps all day and is only active at night. To whom will you bring your problems? Even with such beautiful and intelligent birds, you chose a lazy and cowardly owl as king! Is there no shame in your hearts?"
The crow's words gradually began to affect the birds. They whispered among themselves, realizing the grave mistake they had made. Soon, all the birds disappeared. The area prepared for the coronation became completely deserted. As the owl and the two parrots returned, they found the place empty. Concerned, they flew about, trying to ascertain the reason for the birds' departure. The owl, unable to perceive anything unusual, continued with the coronation preparations. However, realizing the sudden stillness around him, he began to worry. "Where have everyone gone?" he cried out. A female owl perched on a tree responded, "They've all left. There will be no coronation today. You will not be the forest birds' king." "Why? What has happened?" the owl asked in shock. "A crow arrived and convinced everyone of their mistake," the owl's friend explained. "And that crow is still here."
Upon hearing this, the owl's dream of becoming king shattered. "Why did you do this to me?" he asked the crow, but the crow remained silent. The owl then declared, "From now on, the crow is my enemy. All crows will be enemies of owls, and this enmity will never end." With that, the owl flew away. The crow, deeply troubled by the owl's threat, pondered his actions. He felt immense regret for creating such hostility. But it was too late. The damage had been done. With these thoughts, the crow flew away.
Since then, owls and crows have been enemies. Owls kill crows whenever they get the chance, and crows do the same.
The lesson of this story: Interference in others' affairs can have dire consequences. A habit of disrupting others' work can lead to lifelong animosity. Therefore, it's essential to mind one's own business.
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