Vishnu Sharma
|
India

The Crows and the Serpent

A pair of crows outsmart a serpent threatening their nest by tricking the King's guards into killing it.
Problem-Solving
Courage
Responsibility
Panchatantra Fables - The Crows and the Serpent
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time in a large banyan tree, there lived a pair of crows. They were a happy couple, and the tree was their home. However, in a hollow of the tree, there lived a big black serpent.

One day, the crow couple went out in search of food, leaving their young ones in the nest. In their absence, the serpent slithered up the tree and ate the young crow chicks. When the crows returned, they found their home in disarray and their children gone. Heartbroken, they mourned their loss.

Despite their grief, the crows laid more eggs and went out in search of food. But once again, the serpent ate their offspring. This cycle of sorrow continued, causing great distress and grief to the crows.

One day, the female crow suggested they leave the tree and find a new home. But the male crow, who was more thoughtful, said, “The world is the same everywhere. It is not a solution to run away from our problems. Instead, we must try to find a solution.”

After much thinking, the crow came up with a plan. He flew to the river bank where the King's palace was located. There, he saw a necklace of precious gems lying on a pedestal beside the King, who was bathing in the river. The crow swooped down swiftly and picked up the necklace in his beak.

Seeing this, the King’s guards gave chase, but the crow flew fast and led them towards the banyan tree. He dropped the necklace into the serpent’s hollow. The guards, determined to retrieve the necklace, attacked the hollow with sticks and stones. In the process, they killed the serpent.

With the serpent dead, the crow couple was finally able to raise their family in peace. They thanked the King's guards and continued to live happily in their banyan tree, free from the threat of the deadly serpent.

There is a big tree. In the tree, there are two crows. They live in the tree and are happy. In the tree, there is also a big black snake. The snake lives in a hole.

One day, the crows go out to find food. The snake climbs up and eats the baby crows. When the crows come back, they see their nest is empty. They are very sad and cry.

The crows have more eggs. They go out to find food again. But the snake eats the new baby crows too. This happens again and again. The crows are very sad.

The mother crow says, “Let’s find a new home.” But the father crow says, “We must fix the problem here. Running away will not help us.”

The father crow has an idea. He flies to the river near the King’s palace. He sees a shiny necklace on the ground. The crow takes the necklace and flies back to the tree.

The King’s guards see the crow. They run after the crow. The crow flies to the tree and drops the necklace in the snake’s hole. The guards want the necklace back. They hit the hole with sticks. They make the snake go away.

Now, the crows are happy. The snake is gone. The crows live in the tree with their baby crows. They are safe and happy.

Once upon a time, in a big banyan tree, there lived a pair of crows. They were happy together and loved their tree home. In the same tree, a large black serpent also lived in a hollow.

One day, while the crows were out looking for food, the serpent crawled up to their nest and ate the young crow chicks. When the crows returned, they saw their nest was messy and their chicks were gone. They were very sad and cried over their loss.

Even though they were heartbroken, the crows had more eggs and left to find food again. But the serpent kept eating their new chicks. This sad cycle made the crows very upset.

One day, the female crow suggested they should move to a new home. But the male crow, who was wiser, said, “The world is the same everywhere. Running from our problems won't fix them. We need to find a way to solve this.”

After some thought, the crow had a clever idea. He flew to the riverbank near the King's palace. There, he saw a beautiful necklace of precious gems next to the King, who was bathing in the river. The crow quickly grabbed the necklace and flew away.

The King’s guards saw this and chased the crow. But the crow was fast and led them to the banyan tree. He dropped the necklace into the serpent’s hollow. The guards wanted to get the necklace back, so they hit the hollow with sticks and stones. During this, they killed the serpent.

With the serpent gone, the crow couple could finally raise their chicks in peace. They were thankful to the King's guards and lived happily ever after in their banyan tree, safe from the dangerous serpent.

Once upon a time—in like, a chill afternoon on a Tuesday or something—a banyan tree was home to two crows just hanging out. Mr. Crow was like, "Wow, honey, this tree is super cool!"

Mrs. Crow giggled, "Yeah, it's like the best tree ever! Except for one thing... our neighbor."

"You mean Mr. Hiss-Hiss?" Mr. Crow referred to the big, not-so-nice serpent in the hole. "I don't like him either!"

One day, they had to fly out to find some food and left their little baby crows in the nest. When they came back—oh no! The nest was messy and the babies were gone!

"Oh, pickles! Not again!" Mrs. Crow sighed.

"Ugh, we gotta do something! This can't keep happening!" said Mr. Crow.

Mrs. Crow suggested, "Should we move to a different tree?"

Mr. Crow thought a bit. "Nah, running away isn't going to make things better. We need a real fix."

So, they thought and thought. Then—ding!—Mr. Crow had a bright idea.

"I've got it! How about some sneaky spy action, huh?"

"Oooh, I like sneaky," Mrs. Crow winked.

So Mr. Crow flew super fast over to the river, where the King was taking a bath. There was a super shiny necklace of jewels next to him. Mr. Crow swooped down and grabbed it!

"Hey, shiny thing alert!" yelled a guard, and they all started running after Mr. Crow.

Flying fast, Mr. Crow shouted back, "Can't catch me!" He led them right to the banyan tree and dropped the necklace into the serpent's hole.

Guards: "Stop right there! Give that back!"

They poked sticks and threw stones into the hole. Oops! They didn't see Mr. Hiss-Hiss and—got him!

Mr. and Mrs. Crow high-fived, flapping their wings. "Yay! Problem solved!"

The guards scratched their heads but said, "Well, we got the necklace back. Guess that's good enough!"

So, Mr. and Mrs. Crow could finally raise their baby crows in peace, no more mean serpent around. And they all cawed happily ever after in their super cool tree.

Two crows made their nest, oh so high,
On a banyan tree, touching the sky.
A happy pair, oh, how they'd sing,
But in that tree lurked a slithery thing.

Off to find food, they'd both take wing,
Leaving behind chicks that couldn't yet spring.
Up came the snake, so sly and so mean,
Eating the chicks, not to be seen.

Back came the crows, hearts heavy with dread,
Finding their nest empty, their babies unfed.
Though filled with sorrow, they didn't flee,
"Let's find a way," said Mr. Crow, "to live in this tree."

Mrs. Crow said, "Should we leave? Oh, what should we do?"
Mr. Crow replied, "Leaving won't solve it, that much is true."
So they pondered and thought, til an idea took flight,
To make their home safe, every day and every night.

Off flew Mr. Crow, to where the river bends,
Near the palace of the King, where the royal path wends.
A necklace of gems, so shiny and bright,
Mr. Crow grabbed it quick and took to his flight.

"Stop that crow!" the King’s guards cried,
Chasing him fast, far and wide.
Back to his tree, Mr. Crow sped ahead,
Dropping the necklace in the snake's hollow bed.

Down came the guards, sticks in hand,
They wanted those gems from this wooded land.
Poking and prodding, they hit their mark,
Ending the snake's reign, oh so dark.

Safe and secure, the crows gave a cheer,
Finally their home was something to revere.
They thanked the guards, who were quite surprised,
To see grateful crows, right before their eyes.

And so, in the tree, the crows now stay,
Raising their chicks in a peaceful ballet.
From then on, they lived as happy as can be,
In their lofty nest on the grand banyan tree.

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Word Finder

  1. Crow

    Black bird that can fly and caw.

  2. Snake

    Long, thin animal without legs.

  3. Hole

    An empty space in the ground.

  4. Baby

    Very young, small, just born.

  5. Nest

    A bird’s home in a tree.

  6. Idea

    A new thought or plan.

  7. Necklace

    A shiny thing to wear around the neck.

  8. Guards

    People who protect places or things.

  9. Palace

    A big, fancy house for a king.

  10. Safe

    Not in danger, protected, no harm.

  1. Serpent

    Large snake that is often dangerous.

  2. Hollow

    Empty space inside a tree or object.

  3. Heartbroken

    Very sad because of great loss.

  4. Cycle

    Sequence of events that repeats itself.

  5. Suggested

    Proposed an idea for consideration.

  6. Solve

    Find an answer to a problem.

  7. Clever

    Very smart and quick-thinking.

  8. Riverbank

    Land along the edge of a river.

  9. Necklace

    Jewelry worn around the neck.

  10. Guards

    People who protect someone or something.

Understanding Questions

  1. Where do the crows live?

    1. In a house
    2. In a tree
    3. In a river
    4. In a hole
  2. What eats the baby crows?

    1. A cat
    2. A dog
    3. A snake
    4. A bird
  3. How do the crows feel when their nest is empty?

    1. Happy
    2. Angry
    3. Sad
    4. Excited
  4. What does the father crow find near the King’s palace?

    1. A ring
    2. A necklace
    3. A coin
    4. A toy
  5. What do the King’s guards do to the snake?

    1. They feed it.
    2. They play with it.
    3. They make it go away.
    4. They leave it alone.
  1. What was the main problem the crows faced in the story?
  2. How did the male crow decide to solve the problem with the serpent?
  3. Where did the male crow find the necklace?
  4. Why did the King's guards chase the crow?
  5. What was the result of the guards hitting the serpent's hollow?
  1. Why did the crows initially feel overwhelmed with sadness when they returned to their nest?
  2. How did the serpent repeatedly harm the crow couple, and what was the crows' initial reaction to this?
  3. What was the female crow's suggestion to solve the problem, and why did the male crow disagree with it?
  4. Describe the clever plan the male crow devised to deal with the serpent. How did this plan involve the King’s guards?
  5. What was the outcome for the crow couple after the serpent was killed, and how did they feel towards the King’s guards?

Reflection Questions

  1. Why did the male crow decide not to leave the tree and find a new home?
  2. How do you think the crows felt each time they found their chicks gone?
  3. How did the crow come up with a plan to deal with the serpent?
  4. What does this story teach us about dealing with difficult situations and not running away from our problems?
  5. This story teaches us about bravery and problem-solving. Can you think of a situation where you had to be brave or solve a problem?

Fable Quotes

In the face of adversity, true problem-solvers find solutions instead of seeking escape.
Courage is refusing to surrender to despair and choosing to confront problems with determination.
True responsibility means facing our problems head-on, finding solutions, and taking ownership of our actions.
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