Millions of years ago, its ancestor was a bird much like the falcon, but today it is nothing more than an ordinary parrot. Unlike its fierce ancestor, it cannot hunt or kill a single living creature—though it possesses the strange gift of speaking like a human being. Because of this very trait, humans capture its kind, subject them to all manner of torment, and keep them imprisoned in iron cages. But its distant cousin, the falcon, is entirely different. The falcon fears no one and wages war against the world.
This particular parrot was living out its caged life in the home of a scientist. One afternoon, a conversation took place between the scientist and his daughter. They were discussing how the falcon, the parrot, the shrike, the magpie-robin, the crow, and the sparrow—despite looking so different on the surface—were actually distant relatives, all belonging to the same evolutionary family: Eufalconimorphae.
Overhearing this unfamiliar truth, the caged bird was struck with sheer astonishment. All at once, feelings of joy, pride, and deep sorrow welled up in its long-despondent heart. Having spent its life thinking so little of itself and its kind, the parrot cursed Fate bitterly for its plight. But soon, a fierce sense of identity—a powerful surge of asmita—began to swell within it. It no longer saw itself as just a pathetic, caged bird; it began to imagine itself as mighty as the falcon, as clever as the crow, and as industrious as the sparrow.
From that day, it was no longer a mere parrot. If not a falcon, it reasoned, it was at least a king among crows and sparrows!
A spirit of rebellion took hold. To break free from the cage crafted by its human captor, it began rubbing its beak repeatedly against the iron bars. Day after day it laboured, until finally, it managed to force open the thin wire latch at the door and snap it loose. At long last, it was free! Proudly, the parrot stepped out onto the ledge, shook out its green feathers, and flew out through the open window into the vast sky.
Once out in the wild, the parrot began putting on grand airs. It would try to caw like a crow, dart through the air like a sparrow, and flaunt imaginary colours like a falcon. Seeing its strange behaviour, some birds thought the poor thing had lost its mind, while others dismissed it as hopelessly arrogant. The wise old mynah tried its best to reason with the bird, but the parrot refused to listen. Its pride had turned into madness.
Seeing the parrot flying, chirping, and foraging alongside them, the gentle sparrows mistook it for one of their own. They warmly called it "brother" and offered it sweet forest fruits. After all, they thought, if one parrot had learned their language and adopted their gentle ways, surely others could do the same.
One afternoon, the modest leader of the sparrows politely asked the parrot to share a piece of fruit. Receiving such unexpected deference, the parrot grew insufferably smug. Within a few days, it gathered several other parrots, made them its devoted disciples, and passed on its half-baked wisdom. armed with this shallow knowledge, the disciple-parrots grew "wise" overnight and began strutting about, pretending to be sparrows themselves. Seeing this ridiculous farce, the real sparrows felt deeply insulted and resentful.
Then one morning, the parrot caught sight of a falcon soaring high in the clouds. At first glance, its old admiration for the falcon's lineage flared up once more. Resolving to live like a true falcon, the parrot began pouncing on small insects and trying to intimidate the other birds. But the falcons quickly noticed this green imposter trying to ape their noble ways. They mocked and swooped down upon it mercilessly. Crestfallen and humiliated, the parrot slunk away and sat brooding on the branch of a starfruit tree.
Just then, a flock of crows flew past, cawing loudly and aggressively. Crows are the undisputed bullies of the bird world—when they swarm together in numbers, even vultures and falcons hesitate to cross them. Seeing their raw strength and unity, the parrot's enthusiasm was reignited. It now decided that if it could not be a falcon, it would become a crow!
It smeared its green feathers with dark mud, sharpened its claws against tree bark, and flew about cawing a harsh "kaa-kaa." But the crows were not amused. Seeing a foolish parrot mocking their form and voice, they flew into a rage. The flock descended upon the parrot, pecking it viciously and chasing it across the sky.
Terrified and bleeding, understanding nothing of where it had gone wrong, the poor parrot flew in mortal panic. Suddenly, it spotted an empty cage resting on a porch, its door left wide open. Without stopping to think, the parrot darted straight inside, pulled the latch shut with its beak, and cowered in the darkest corner.
(Take heed! Your ancestors were the valiant warriors of Kalinga—born of a great and heroic lineage. Why then do you ape the ways of lesser folk? If you spend your life imitating others, you too, like this foolish parrot, will end up biting the dust. Beware!)
Comments
Post a Comment