short story

Once, there lived a brave and kind hearted King. He had a talking bird which could foretell the future. The bird lived in a beautiful gold cage. She had plenty to eat and drink every day. The bird was very precious to the king. The talking bird answered the King’s question everyday about his kingdom’s welfare.

“I am the most blessed King on this whole earth”, said the king.

Many days passed happily, until one day the king started feeling sad about the bird. He felt guilty in his heart to trap the talking bird and using it for his selfish means.

“If I am the king, then it is my prime duty to take care of my people and kingdom on my own’.

His self- conscience hated him for using the talking bird for so long.

“I did not work hard for so many years”, thought the king in his heart. “Oh! It was the bird who was protecting the Kingdom and the people, not me”. He realized.

“I will let the bird free”, the king decided in his mind. “I will work hard for my kingdom and for the wellbeing of my people”.

So, he called a soldier and asked him to take the gold cage in the jungle and set the bird free. He told the soldier to bring back the gold cage with him as a remembrance. The soldier followed the King’s command and took the gold cage into the thick forest. As he was about to open the cage, suddenly heard some voice talking to him.

“Oh! Foolish man do not let me go, I can bring luck and happiness to you for your entire life.” The soldier was surprised to hear the bird talking.

The bird liked staying in the gold cage, served with the delicious food and grains. Her lovely feather and wings groomed by the servants every day. Also, it felt protected and secured with the predators which might gobble her up for food.  She wanted to stay in the comfort of the gold cage. So, the bird thought to create confusion in the soldier’s mind.

“I am a talking bird and could tell you the future”, chirped the bird.

The soldier was zapped to hear such facts from the bird and felt tempted to keep the bird with him secretly. He also thought of having a better and luxurious life without doing any hard work which the bird might bring for him. He forgot the king’s command to let the bird go and was not able to fulfill his duty towards the King.

But the soldier thought about gold cage which he has to carry with him back to the King.

“Dear Lord! From where should I get a gold cage now”, thought the soldier as he was thinking for some way out.

So, he said to the bird, “Hey!  Little Birdie, I am bound to follow my master’s command and have to take the gold cage back to King’s palace in any case. I can only give you the iron wired cage to live if you agree.”

“At least, I will be secured in the cage and no predator would eat me for food.” thought the clever bird.

“OK!”, said the bird to the soldier and hopped into the iron wired cage.

The soldier returned to the palace and gave the gold cage back to the King.

Now, the talking bird was at the soldier’s house. The soldier and his family did not have much good things to eat. They could only serve it the leftovers. Every day, after meals whatever was left by the soldier’s kid his wife served it to the bird. The soldier’s wife never washed and cleaned the iron wired cage and also never groomed the bird feathers and wings. Now, the bird remained sad in the dirty cage and was left with less delicious and little food.

One day, the soldier asked the talking bird about the future and the bird told him. “You and your family are going to live this ordinary life always.” It was the reality of soldier’s life and family, which the bird could foretell. It was his destiny which the bird revealed.

But it was hard to hear for the soldier, his luck would never change until his lifetime. Soldier also did not like to hear the facts which bird told him about his future.

The soldier thought,” If according to the bird, I will always remain like this and my family would also stay like this way forever, why should I take care of this bird. This bird is not doing any good to me and not giving me any advantage.”

“You don’t need to give much food to the useless bird’’, the soldier told his wife. The talking bird heard it and thought of leaving the cage.

“They don’t give me enough food to eat and drink, I am staying in this dirty and stinking iron wired cage”, the clever bird thought of escaping from the soldier’s house. So, the bird decided to tell a lie to the soldier’s wife when he is gone away.

“I will go and get the Good luck for you if you let me go out of the cage O mistress!”, chirped the bird fluttering her wings. The soldier’s wife heard the bird talking about the luck and came near the cage feeling tempted.

“But, I cannot let you go until my husband is back from work”, said the soldier’s wife to the bird. “Why not, don’t you worry Dear! I’ll be back before your husband would return home from work. He will never come to know about this. I’ll just go and bring the luck for you people”, replied the bird to the soldier’s wife.

The soldier’s wife was tempted to hear about the ‘luck thing’. “If I let go the bird for some time, it might bring us Good luck”. Hoping this, the soldier’s wife decided to set the bird free and opened the door of the cage.

Fluttering the wings, bird flew immediately high in the sky to never return back in the dirty iron cage again. The soldier’s wife waited for long hours for the bird to return home but it never came back. Now, she realized how silly she was to let go the bird. She also feared to give a proper reply to her husband about letting go the bird.

As the bird was flying high in the open sky, an eagle pounced on it and caught it in its beak and sat on the high tree top branch to eat. The bird tried to use skill of talking but realized that it would not make any difference to the eagle. The eagle ate the bird.

We cannot change the destiny but can always work hard for the better present and good future ahead. There are always temptations to short cut towards success but ignoring them and choosing the right path leads to a better tomorrow.