How a Sparrow Came to Grief

The Sparrow’s Story is a part of the ancient Indian fable tale ‘The Panchatantra’. Hundreds of years ago, there lived a king named Amarasakti who had three sons. All three of them were not only foolish but also hated studying. Then came a wise old man, named Vishnu Sharman (author of The Panchatantra) who undertook the responsibility of making the princes learn the art of intelligent living- niti. Thus, the Panchatantra is also known as ‘niti shastra’ or textbook of niti (the wise conduct of living). The Panchatantra is based on the following five principles:

1. Mitra Labha (gaining friends)

2. Mitra Bheda (losing friends)

3. Aparïksitakárakam (acting without thinking)

4. Labdhapranasam (loss of gains)

5. Kakolookiyam (crows and owls)

The story ‘how a sparrow came to grief’ is a part of Mitra Bheda (losing friends)

Summary of How a Sparrow Came to Grief 

Once, a pair of sparrows lived on a huge banyan tree in a wide jungle. They built a beautiful nest for themselves that was comfortable and protected them in every season. One day during winter, it rained heavily in the jungle. Sitting in the comforts of their nest, the couple saw a monkey climbing the same tree. His teeth were clenching and he was shivering due to the cold.

Seeing the poor monkey in distress, the female sparrow felt pity for him and wanted to offer help.

She called him “Dear you have the hands and feet of a human, why don’t you build a house for yourself? It will shelter you and will shield you from the harsh winter winds.”

Angered by this uncalled advice, the monkey shouted “You stupid sparrow, why don’t you mind your own business?” However, completely ignoring the monkey’s tone, the female sparrow continued talking about how she built her nest with all the hard work.

The monkey was already suffering the cruelties of the weather, listening to the sparrow his temper shot up. He thought to himself, “I must teach her a lesson”. In a fit of rage, the monkey climbed up the tree and destroyed the sparrow’s nest, while the pair could do nothing about it.

Sparrow Advising Monkey

Monkey Destroys the Sparrow’s Nest

Moral from the Sparrow’s Story

The sparrow’s advice seemed redundant to the monkey. Even though she intended on helping the monkey, she was a victim of his anger. Thus, the sparrow’s story’s moral is to give your advice to only those who deserve it, or else you will come to grief.

Conclusion

In the above story, we read about a pair of sparrows living in a banyan tree, when a monkey appears. It was raining cats and dogs and the monkey was shivering with cold. Seeing the monkey in despair, one of the sparrows advised him to build a home of his own to protect himself in future. The monkey mistook this advice as arrogance and destroyed the sparrow’s nest in revenge. We learn that advice is seldom welcomed, and those who need it the most, like it the least.

Note to Parents 

The Panchtantra narrates short stories in a light-hearted manner, which helps enroot morals in kids. Known for their wisdom on practical life, the stories are delightfully narrated with animals and birds as the protagonists, making reading the Panchtantra interesting. Parents can spend quality time with their kids while reading these stories, simultaneously imbibing values in them.