The Evil Snake

There was an old banyan tree in a forest. A crow-couple had made their nest in the tree. There was a hollow in the lower part of the trunk of the tree. A snake had come from somewhere and made it its home.

After a few days, the mother crow laid eggs. In due course of time, birdies hatches out of the eggs.
One day the parent-crows left their nest in the morning in the search of food. In their absence, the snake entered their nest and devoured the birdies.

When the parent-crows returned, they felt very grieved to see their nest empty. They enquired from other birds living in the tree about the birdies but none could tell them anything. They bewailed helplessly and at last had to be silent.

After some time, the mother-crow again laid eggs and birdies hatched out them. The couple decided not to leave the birdies alone. One day the mother-crow was sleeping in the nest. The crow was away looking for food and the birdies were playing. The wicked snake crawl silently towards the nest.

When the birdies saw the snake, they raised a hue and cry. Their noise disturbed their mother's sleep and she woke up. Seeing the cruel snake advancing towards the birdies, she raised an alarm-"caw caw caw."

Suddenly a kite appeared on the scene. Seeing his enemy just at hand, the snake crawled back into his hollow quickly.

In the evening, when the crow returned the mother-crow told him all that had happened. He felt shocked. Then the mother-crow said, "It is not safe to live here now. Let us make our nest in some other tree far off from here.
"What do you say, dear? Have you ever heard of anybody leaving his or her home out of fear?" retorted the crow.
"How will, then, we save our birdies from the cruel snake?" asked the mother-crow.

The crow felt worried to hear this. But he said, "Dear! Let me go to Miss Fox who lives just near by. I am sure, she must suggest a way out."

The crow narrated the tale of woe to the fox. Thinking over the problem, the fox said, "You need not leave your home. I have a plan to have the snake killed."
The fox said, "Tomorrow morning, the princess of nearby kingdom will come to the river for a bath with her maid and body-guards. She will take off her clothes and ornaments before going into the water. You must be present there before hand. Dodging the guards, you should pick up the necklace of the princess and fly slowly to the snake's hollow. The royal bodyguards will follow you to the end. You should throw the necklace into the hollow in their presence. They will dig the hollow and kill the snake."

The crow liked the plan and decided to act upon it. Returning home, he told the mother-crow what the plan was. Next day the crow went to the riverbank. After some time, the princess reached there with her clothes and ornaments before going into the water.

The crow was already in wait. He at once pounced on the necklace and picking it in his beak, flew away slowly. Seeing the crow taking away her necklace, the princess raised an alarm, "Look! The crow has taken away my necklace. Follow him at once. At the princess's order, the bodyguards ran after the crow. Flying to the snake's hollow, the crow sat near it with the necklace.

After some time, the bodyguards also reached there. Now the crow threw the necklace into the snake's hollow. The bodyguards started digging the hollow in order to get the necklace of it. At this, the snake came out and stood before them hissing angrily.
The bodyguards killed the snake there and then. Taking the necklace out of the hollow, they returned to where the princess was bathing. The crow-couple felt overjoyed to see their enemy killed. They went to Miss Fox and thanked her.

Moral - A person who harms others always meets with tragic end.

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