Stories from Panchatantra
The crows and the serpent


Go to Panchatantra Stories Index

Once upon a time there lived a crow couple, who had built a nest on the top of a tree. But unfortunately the tree was inhabited by a serpent at its bottom. So the serpent used to crawl up the tree and eat all the eggs that the lady crow used to lay. The crow couple were deeply grieved and when this happened time after time, then they decided that the serpent was to be get rid of by a plan.

So the crow then approached his friend the jackal and asked for a plan. The jackal then told him to go and fetch a costly thing from the palace of the king and throw the thing in the burrow of the snake. The crow went to palace, and stole a necklace of the queen while she was bathing. The gaurds of the palace ran after it. The crow then dropped the necklace in the burrow of the snake beneath the tree.

The gaurds on reaching the bottom of the tree, found the necklace gaurded by the serpent. Then they lynched the serpent and recovered the necklace. So the crow family was now happy that their eggs were safe now.

Go to Panchatantra Stories Index