‘Hitopadesh’ tales, are famous moral stories in India, It is compound word made out with two words ‘HIT’ and ‘UPDESH’. ‘HIT’ means beneficial or helpful and ‘UPDESH’ means good teaching or preaching. So the ‘Hitopadesh’ means ‘Helpful Teaching’.
Hitopdaesh story – ‘The Blind Vulture’
Once there was a colossal tree next to the river Ganga in India. There lived a huge number of birds in that tree. In the same tree, there also lived a blind Vulture. When all of the adult birds went to catch and find the food, the Vulture used to look after the nestling (Baby Birds).
One day a Cat was passing by the tree and heard the baby birds chirping. She wanted to eat them, so went to the hollow of the tree where the chicks used to group up.
When chick saw the Cat they started to chirp loudly – ‘Chee..Chee… Chee’.
Then the Vulture got panicked and asked – ‘Who is it?’.
The Cat felt a bit uneasy but knew that she needed to be brave, So she replied innocently – ‘It’s me Cat’.
The Vulture knew that Cat is nothing except a danger, So said – ‘Go away from here’.
The Cat tried to convince the Vulture into one of his tricks and she was successful in convincing the vulture.
The Cat waited until to gain fully trusted by the vulture and few days later able to get fully trusted by the old bird.
One sunny afternoon the Vulture was having a relaxing nap and the Cat got his most awaited moment. She pounced onto the little fledglings and gobbled them all up. She cunningly placed the leftover bones into the vultures hallow.
When the Birds came back in the evening, they looked and for their Chicks but couldn’t be found. After searching every single bit of the tree, they found the remaining bones of their Chicks in the Vulture’s hollow. They all thought, the Vulture had eaten their Chicks. So, with an outrageous feeling they attacked on the Vulture and pushed him off the tree. The old blind Vulture died.
Moral of Story –
Never believe in false praises from strangers because it may lead to destruction. The vulture would have stayed alive if he didn’t believe in the cat’s words.
Narrator of Story –
Samiksha Saha
Age: 8 Year
