Cuckoo and the Crow

Cuckoo and the Crow
{/size

e}

By

ANANDAKUMAR.K.R.

The Crow had a close friend Cuckoo .Their friendship grew stronger by the day ever since they met each other after a long time, on the Banyan tree where the crow lived in her nest with her husband and two cute sons. The mother Crow was a big fan of the Cuckoo's songs. But the father Crow and the two sons didn't like the lazy Cuckoo, spending most of her time sleepy, singing songs now and then. She would neither join the company of crows to play 'hide and seek' game nor take bath daily in the pond nearby with her Crow friends.
Mother Crow grew up with her siblings in a free , friendly and jovial way not worried about the mundane day to day chores of fetching food or joining the community for fighting enemy attack or community bathing at the pond. The Cuckoo was one among the siblings of mother Crow very beautiful with colourful wings, attractive beak, and above all, a melodious voice. Mother crow had a great adoration for her.
It was customary, the Cuckoo would happily sing melodious songs one after another for a long time in the woods. The crows would assemble around her, listening to her songs, envying her talent and beauty. Cuckoo was proud of herself, encouraged to sing more often to conjure all the birds around.
         One day it was a silent morning around the gardens. All working men and women have gone to their work far and near, commuting their way. A hand ful of people home bound are busy in their morning chore. There came a sudden outburst of panic calls all around. Kaw, Kaw Kaw.........the calls were sky rocketting. Squirrels were shouting in high voice panic alert to its clan, restless raising his tail curning up, beating the tail to ground calling its clan about the impending danger. Many other birds were flying helter skelter with panic. Otter flock on the hills were standing on hind legs watching all around to chaeck the reason for the commotion.

         The few residents home bound ran out into their gardens hearing the frantic panic calls and at the commotion, suspecting whether it could be an earthquake or could it be a tornado? It took quite a lot of time for them to the reason.
          Fhe father Crow was calling her friends in panic sensing the danger of the Cuckoo stealthily moving around their nest on the Banyan tree. A big flock of crows flew fast crowing loudly, 'kaw'......',kaw',....'Kaw' to fight with an invading Cuckoo. As usual the Cuckoo was squeaking and flying hither and thither in panic to save herself form the pouncing Crows. At last she escaped the chase hiding in a bush on the ground.The residents that ran out to gardens returned to their respective jobs with a sigh of relief.
         The Cuckoo was living alone near her friend the Mother Crow, her only friend, mentor and well-wisher. In reality she believed the Mother Crow itself as her real mother that gave her birth. She loved the Son Crows as her actual brothers though she did not get affections in return. Sad as it was, she spent her time lonely singing and dancing to the appreciation of her friend, the Mother crow. She learnt to fly by imitating her brother crows. Sometimes she would help the Mother Crow in fetching food or bringing twigs to repair the nest.
         As she grew older, the Cuckoo developed friendship with a boy of her clan. He was equally good in singing, was often join with her to sing and play. They spent lot of time at the neighboring mango grove where many of their friends lived. Over moths of being friends they started becoming intimate, unable to bear even a few days stay away. Gradually the friendship turned into intense love for each other. The courtship of him was quite charming, his dance ,his love calls, to appease her was exemplary. She would not miss him even a moment; she would repeatedly make calls to him and become restless searching him all over the garden. Time approached fast for her to lay eggs. Being lazy she thought it convenient to lay her eggs also in her friend Mother Crow's nest, It is for that purpose she stealthily moved around the nest, got caught and chased away by the Crows. But there was no time, she had to lay her eggs any ways. She continued to avail every opportunity to lay her eggs along with those of Mother Crow.
         Crow community is famous for their comradierie; the whole group would join the joy of sharing a big kill or sorrow of the death of a fellow member, or fight the enemy.
         On a bright sunny morning all the crows were away busy finding their food, No one was around the crow's nest; the Cuckoo stealthily laid her eggs in the nest along with those of the Mother Crow and vanished from the site!
         Unsuspecting Mother Crow never recognized the mix up, and believed all eggs were her own. She got busy waiting for them to hatch. A few days later when the eggs got hatched, the off-springs appeared identical in form initially, Mother Crow could not distinguish her own siblings from those of the Cuckoo's. She raised all of them with equal devotion and love; she would feed all of them equally, cajole and play with them as a true mother would. As time passed by, the off springs began growing fast to the delight of the Mother Crow. They would hop out and in to the nest playing and chasing each other, Mother Crow was happy enjoying watching their play; started teaching them how to recognize enemies and defend themselves in case of attack. Some siblings grew faster than others in size. A few had a weak and mellow voice while others were loud and rough in calling each other. Mother crow kept watching the differences, wondering why it is like that, though she gave the same attention to all, equal food and showed equal warmth to every one of them. As they grew the differences were distinct and glaring that the Mother Crow started suspecting the weaker ones do not appear like crow siblings. As her apprehension grew stronger the siblings started hopping out and flapping their wings getting ready to fly off. While the larger siblings were loud and gruff voiced, the lean siblings were mellow voiced singing short melodious songs, making the Mother Crow realize that they are hatched out of Cuckoo's eggs mixed up in her nest.
         She became furious with her friend Cuckoo, that she cheated by laying eggs in her nest without her knowledge. Added to the fury the Father Crow supported by children started chasing the cuckoo in revenge; created a ruckus among their community about the cheating. The whole Crow community, bent on revenge, joined the chase up and down, helter skelter all around the nest. They pecked, heckled the cuckoo till she breathed her last! Mother Crow felt sorry for her friend Cuckoo and took pity for her innocent off-springs, continued to serve them as her own inspite of the cheating she was inflicted upon.
         Poor Mother Crow was in tears every time she fed the Cuckoo off-springs being mentored along with her own off-springs. Her motherly soul wouldn't tolerate the vindictive attitude of her community on Cuckoo friends. She was magnanimous to excuse the off-springs of her friend Cuckoo and protected them till they flew out of her nest free to live on their own!
         Mother Crow thus became a Good Samaritan, a noble example for all others to follow!
CHARACTERS 7334 WORDS 1292 WITHOUT WHITE SPACES 5959