Theme: Feeling Inferior is foolishness.
Know this:
(1) Day in and day out, we are being exploited by several people around us by making us feel inferior.
(2) How much fairness cream would turn a crow into a dove?
(3) Without exception, some times you and even I exploit, without being conscious of it.
(4) If someone deceives you, you are more to be blamed than the one who deceives you.
(5) It is important to know that no one is superior to others all the time and in every situation.
(6) Equally so, every one is inferior to some one, somewhere, on some occasions.
(7) We can safely conclude no one is superior or inferior to any one else, all the time. So no one needs to feel inferior.
A simple story was told for ages to drive home this simple phenomenon. But most of us did not absorb the message. The consequences are many: hurt feelings, lost money and so on.
Theme: Feeling Inferior is foolish.
Short story: 04.
FOOLISH CROW AND THE GREEDY FOX
This story has two versions - one an old story and the second its new form.First, let me give a small description about our old times because children of today may not appreciate the story without it.
In the villages, those days, there was no electricity in use. Roads were not concrete or tar-topped. There were no cars or buses. A simple situation to imagine is that, in Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, people used to come in tourist buses to see the 14 storied LIC building on Mount road and admired it. The building, in those days was a great engineering accomplishmentbeing- the tallest structure in some 1000 Kilometer area around it!
Some 40 years ago, you may spot one or two cars in the district headquarters.
Now let us turn to the older version of the story.
STORY OF THE CROW (Old version).
This is in that period of civilization when humans used to walk many miles along with their cattle. One thing that has not changed over the years is the fast-food joints!Under a large tree, an old lady ran a “fast food” joint selling ‘vadai ’. She did the job of cooking, distributing, cleaning, collection and security with great enthusiasm.
Customers would be waiting for their turn to have food while the aroma of food would waft over a large area. The crow and the fox would wait for the right opportunity at a distance to grab their pick.
The crow waited for the old lady to doze off and took this opportunity to grab a ‘vadai’. The lady woke and threw the long stick she kept near her. But the crow flew to the trees, unhurt.
It settled down on the branch. When it was about to enjoy the meal; it realized that a fox was looking at it, sitting right below, on the ground.
The fox addressed the crow saying, “Brother Crow, do you remember me? I am your diehard fan”. Now the crow was in a dilemma whether to eat or speak to the fox. “No”, said the crow. “Why don’t you open your mouth and say so,” said the fox. Somehow, the fox wanted the crow to open its mouth so that the ‘vadai’ would fall down and he could pick it.
The cunning fox was just waiting to eat the ‘vadai’. The crow looked around and hooked the vadai on one of the branches of the tree. Then looking down, he asked the fox what it wanted. He asked, “Shall I sing a song which you can listen to and go?” Realizing that his plan did not work, the fox took to his heels and disappeared.
A baby crow watched this scenario and was confused. The father crow explained it as below.“I have heard stories of our ancestors. They, like the present day humans, due to their low esteem, often became a prey, resulting in loss of possessions and their rights. Except for humans, no other creatures on earth have the feeling of “high and low” among themselves.
Not everyone considers one high or low in status every time and on all occasions. Occasionally, at some point of time, a person might become rich. Everybody, during his lifetime may become low in status at times. Therefore, it would be wrong to demean or praise the person for his status. We need not become a slave if we understand this basic concept.
There are people who will create low self-esteem in us and enslave us. There are alsothose who create low-self esteem among themselves without outsiders’ help. They are enslaved and exploited by others. Not only humans, even crows have suffered from the low self-esteem syndrome!
The crows of the present generation have become intelligent! The fox did not realize that it was difficult to outsmart those who are intelligent.
We have to learn many useful lessons from our ancestors.
If we understand these lessons when young, we can overcome defeat right from the early stages of life. Long ago, the crows had low self esteem and inferiority complex in that they were not as beautiful as a peacock, white as a dove and did not have a sweet voice like a Koel.But they did not realize that they had many virtues which other birds didn’t have. The crows do not have enemies. They are considered as ancestors of humans and are given a feast during a death ceremony and anniversaries of their loved ones!
On festivals and often on normal days humans offer food only to crows and to no one else.“When we have so many virtues to be happy about, why should we (crows) suffer from inferiority complex”?
“The “modern” crows have realized the truth. They do not suffer from inferiority complex any more. Therefore crows do not fall prey to others.
We decided not to complain that others are bad and they cheat us. We admitted openly that we were stupid and so vulnerable. We have changed our attitudes. But the humans have not”, concluded the father crow.