There was a crow who lived on a tree. He was fond of eating the eggs of other birds. Whenever he saw eggs in other nests, he would fly there, destroy them and eat the eggs.
The birds who suffered for his greed for eating eggs became his enemies. They stopped talking to him. The crow did not care for their displeasure and grief. He was a very selfish crow.
Once the crow’s wife became pregnant. He began making a nest for her to lay eggs in. But as the other birds had been his victims, they had now got a chance to settle their scores and destroyed his nest.
The crow began crying. He prayed to a goddess. The goddess appeared before him and said, “What is your problem?”
“My wife is pregnant and I want to make a nest for her to lay eggs in. But the other birds are destroying my nest,” said the crow.
The goddess said, “But why?”
The crow narrated the fact to the goddess. He listened to the crow patiently and said, “As you already know, you are the original destroyer of the nests; it is the curse of other birds that you will never be able to make your own nest. But since you have offered your prayers to me, I bless you that your wife shall be able to lay her eggs in the nests of other birds.” The goddess disappeared.
The blessing came true. Since then, crows never make their own nests. Their eggs are laid in the nests of cuckoos. A cuckoo is never able to distinguish between her eggs and those of the crow.
Moral : As you sow, so shall you reap.
