A Clever Crow
Once there was a crow. He lived on a tree by a railway line. By chance there was a railway signal fixed near the same tree. The crow saw everyday that when the signal was up the trains stopped and when it was down, it made the trains move and start. He saw it again and again. He read the movement of the railway signal very closely.
Now he had an idea. He called other birds of his tribe. He told them he was very powerful as he could make the trains stop and move at will. The birds did not believe him. He invited them to his tree to see the magic with their own eyes. They came in thousands. By chance the signal was up. The coming train saw the motion of the signal. The crow said, ‘Stop”. The train stopped. Of course it stopped because of the up signal and not the command of the crow. The halt of the train made other crows and birds “wonder struck”.
Now they all clamoured for the movement of the halting train. The clever crow’s eyes were constantly fixed on the working of the railway signal. He pretended to be chanting something. Actually he was wasting time. As soon as the signal was lowered the crow cried, “move”. The train moved. It made the crows and birds believe in the magical power of the crow. They were sure now that the crow could stop and move the trains at will. The working of the trains was entirely in the hands of the crow. They bowed before his supreme might and proclaimed him as the king of the bird kingdom. Thus a clever crow, by his little common sense, enthroned himself.
Moral : The wit works wonders.