Punishment for Destroying Nests
There was a crow who lived in a tree. He was fond of eating the eggs of other birds. Whenever he saw eggs in other birds’ nests, he went there, destroyed their nests and ate the eggs.
Birds who fell prey to this longing for eating eggs, became his enemies. They even avoided talking to him. The crow did not care for their unhappiness. He was a happy – go – lucky – crow.
Once the crow’s wife became pregnant. The crow began making nest for his wife to lay eggs. But because he was in a habit of destroying other birds’ nests, they also got a chance to settle their scores with him and destroyed this nest.
The crow began crying. He prayed to God. God appeared before him and said, ‘ What is your problem?”
“My wife is pregnant and I want to make a nest for my wife to lay eggs. But the other birds are causing impediment by destroying my nest,” said the crow.
God said, “But Why?”
The crow narrated the fact of God. He listened to the crow patiently and said, “ As you already know, you have destroying other’s nests; hence it is the curse of other birds that you will never be able to make yur own nest. But since you have offered your prayers to me, I bless you that your wife shall be able to lay eggs in other birds’ nests.” God disappeared.
The blessings came true. Since then the crows make their own nests. Their eggs are laid in the nest of cuckoos who are look – alike birds of crows. A cuckoo is never able to distinguish between her eggs and the crow’s eggs. The crow’s young’s come out of eggs in the nest of cuckoos.
