Vishnu Sharma
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India

The Bird with Two Heads

A unique bird with two heads ate a poisonous fruit due to disagreement and carelessness, leading to their tragic end.
Unity
Responsibility
Consequences
Panchatantra Fables - The Bird with Two Heads
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time in a dense forest, there lived a unique bird with one body, two wings, and two heads that could think and speak independently. They lived in harmony, relying on each other to survive.

One day, one head spotted a delicious red fruit and said, "Let's eat it!" The other head agreed, and they enjoyed the sweet fruit together. A few days later, the second head saw a shiny golden fruit and exclaimed, "This fruit looks even tastier!" The first head hesitated, fearing it might not be safe.

Ignoring the first head's concerns, the bird plucked the golden fruit. As the second head took a bite, it realized the fruit was poisonous. The second head started feeling weak and sick. The first head, seeing the other's distress, cried out, "We should have been more cautious!"

As the poison spread through their shared body, both heads suffered. Sadly, the unique bird with two heads fell from the tree and succumbed to the poison. The once harmonious heads had let their disagreement and carelessness lead to their tragic end.

Once upon a time, deep in a forest that was so thick you could barely see the squirrels playing "Tag, you're it!" there lived a bird that was, let's say, special. Yeah, it had one body, but two heads! Imagine trying to choose what movie to watch on Netflix with that setup. So, these two heads chit-chatted all day long. "Do you like clouds?" "Clouds? Oh yeah, I could look at clouds all day!" They usually got along, except on the rare occasion when they had to pick between worms and berries for lunch. Worms or berries? It was like choosing between chocolate and vanilla!

One sunny day, one head spotted a fruit that was redder than a fire truck. "Ooooh, look at that! It's like a candy apple just hanging there. Let's munch it!"

The other head said, "Well, it's not a cheeseburger, but alright, let's do this!" They both took a nibble and it was so scrumptious they felt like they were floating on air. If they had hands, they'd high-five each other.

A few days later, the other head saw something glittering like Grandma's jewelry. "Hey, it's a golden fruit! A golden fruit, I tell ya! It's like the Oscars, but in fruit form!"

The first head gave a little squint. "Golden? Really? Have you ever seen anything eat something golden and not turn into a statue or something? Just saying!"

Ignoring the naysayer, the second head said, "Pssh! You worry too much!" and then chomped down on the golden fruit. Suddenly, the second head felt like it had swallowed a whole beehive. "Oh no, this isn't good. This is bad, really bad!"

The first head looked over, "Oh dear! I told you so! Why couldn't you listen? It's like talking to a feather pillow!"

But the damage was done. They both started to feel lousy, like they'd stayed up past their bedtime eating too much candy. The poison was playing hopscotch all over their shared body. They wobbled and teetered and then--whoosh!--down they went from the tree.

As they fell, one head said, "You know, we really should have listened to each other more, huh?"

And the other mumbled, "Yeah, teamwork isn't just for school projects, you know."

Down they went, falling like a sack of potatoes, and they couldn't even say, "Ouch!" So there they were, two heads that once sang and chatted, now quiet. If only they'd listened, they'd still be arguing over whether clouds look more like sheep or fluffy pancakes.

Deep within a forest so grand,
Lived a bird, the rarest in the land.
One body, two heads, it's true,
Talking, thinking, as folks like us do.

Both heads lived as the best of friends,
Together they faced life's twists and bends.
One day, a red fruit caught one's gaze,
"It looks yummy!" it said, in a daze.

The second nodded, "Let's have a taste!"
Together they ate, no fruit went to waste.
A shiny gold fruit then caught the other's eye,
"It looks so good, should we give it a try?"

The first head pondered, feeling unsure,
"That might not be safe, let's just endure."
But the second, eager, took a bite,
Only to find it wasn’t quite right.

"Oh dear!" it gasped, feeling so ill,
The poison spread, a chilly thrill.
The first head sobbed, "Should've been wise!"
Together they faltered, under the skies.

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the first head was worried about eating the golden fruit?
  2. How do you think the second head felt after eating the golden fruit and realizing it was poisonous?
  3. Can you think of a situation where you or someone else didn't listen to a friend's advice and then wished you had?
  4. What does this story teach us about the importance of unity and careful decision making?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our daily life, especially when we need to make decisions that might affect others around us?

Fable Quotes

In unity, we find strength; in discord, our own downfall.
Responsibility is the key to avoiding the bitter fruits of careless choices.
Unseen choices can unleash unseen consequences, shaping our destiny with a force we cannot evade.
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