Table with Moral - The Cobra and the Crows - Panchatantra (Mitra bheda)
There was a big banyan tree where a crow couple had made a nest. In the hollow of the same tree, lived a black cobra. The crows lived in constant fear because the black cobra would climb up the tree and eat the newborns, whenever the female crow hatched her eggs. They were helpless as they could do nothing to save them.
The crows sought advice of a jackal, who lived in the nearby banyan tree. Narrating their woes, they said, "dear friend, it has become dangerous to live here. Please tell us a way to prevent our babies from being eaten up by the wicked black cobra." The jackal replied that even powerful enemies could be overcome with the use of wit. On hearing this, the crows requested the jackal to help them to eliminate this wicked cobra.
The jackal told them a plan. He asked them to fly into the capital of the kingdom, not far in terms of distance and visit the house of someone who was wealthy and also careless. He instructed them to observe if something valuable was lying around. If so, they were asked to pick it up when the servants were watching and fly back slowly to ensure that the servants could follow them. "Return to your tree and drop it in the hollow of the tree where the cobra lives. When the servants reach and see it, they will kill the cobra," added the jackal.
The crows accepted the jackal's advice and flew off immediately according to his plan. As they flew above the capital, the female crow noticed wealthy women swimming in a lake. They had left gold and pearl necklaces on the banks of the lake, which were being guarded by royal servants.
At once the female crow swooped down, and picked up a big necklace in her beak, and started flying slowly. When the royal servants noticed her, they picked up sticks and stones, and started throwing at her. They ran to chase her.
As per the plot, she dropped the necklace in front of the hollow of the tree, where the black cobra was asleep. She sat on one of the branches for the royal servants to notice.
When the royal servants arrived, the black cobra came out of the hollow of the tree to see what all the noise was about. The black cobra confronted the king's servants, but the servants attacked the cobra with sticks and stones to recover the necklace.
They killed the wicked cobra and returned with the necklace. The crows, having got rid of the cobra, lived happily ever after.
Moral of the Fable: Intelligence overcomes might
