THE ADVENTURES OF A BIRD
A small bird was once half buried in a puddle and could not escape, so it called to a passing stranger for help.
“Take me out, O stranger, and as a reward, you may eat me when my feathers are dried.”
So the man assisted it; but no sooner were its wings free than it flew away without expressing a word of gratitude.
After going a short distance it found a cowrie (or small shell, the smallest current coin in India, and now very rarely used), and joyously exclaimed: “I have found a cowrie, I have money—I am now higher than a Rajah.”
A Rajah hearing this, sent a man to take away the cowrie. “See,” said he, “that bird says it is higher than a Rajah.”
So he took the cowrie, and brought it to the Rajah.
Whereupon the bird said: “See, that Rajah was hungry, so he took away my money.”
This annoyed the Rajah so much (as only the poorest people deal in cowries) that he immediately restored it to the bird, who, nothing daunted, replied: “See, the Rajah was afraid, and so he has returned my cowrie.”
This was going a little too far, and the Rajah, in a rage, ordered the offender to be shot.