~Binay Kasajoo~
It was a hot summer day. Luse, a crow, was resting on the branch of a dense tree. He was about to fall asleep when he felt some liquid falling on his body. His body became drenched with the dropping of other crows. He looked above and saw two mischievous crows, Chuchhe and Buchhe, laughing at him.
Luse was angry with Chuchhe and Buchhe. But he was helpless, because they were known in the forest for their mischief. They made fun of every bird. They had defecated on his body and his black shining feathers had turned white with their droppings.
Luse flew from his perch in search of water to wash his body. But the rivers and ponds in the forest had dried up because of the hot summer. There were no other sources of water nearby. Therefore, he flew towards the village. But most of the water sources in the village had also turned dry. Even the small ponds where the cattle drank were dry. Then he went to the village crossroad where there were big Pipal and Bar trees. A platform was constructed around the trees. It was a meeting place for the villagers and a resting platform for the wayfarers. Some charitable villagers had put water in earthen pots for the thirsty travelers. People who were tired rested there and quenched their thirst with the cold water from the pot and wished the charitable people good fortune.
Luse sat on the branch of the Bar tree and looked at the people drinking water. He could not bathe in the earthen pot. Nor did he see any appropriate place to wash his feathers. He was helplessly gazing at the people below when all of a sudden some people exclaimed with excitement. “Look! There is a white crow.” Luse saw all the people gazing at him with astonishment.
Luse could not understand what the matter was. He looked at his own body and saw that because of the bird droppings his body had turned white and it had become dry and shining. He felt uncomfortable. He wanted to hide himself from the people’s sight. So, he flew into the dense branches and disappeared behind the leaves.
But the curious villagers did not leave him alone. Some of them said “See the white crow is a sacred bird. It brings good fortune to the village. It may be the descendant or a reincarnation of Kaagbhusundi. It is mentioned in the great epic Ramayana that Kaagbhusundi helped Lord Ram to look for Goddess Sita. We must welcome and worship this crow.”
The news of the arrival of the white crow at the village cross-road spread like wildfire. The villagers congregated around the tree in large numbers. They brought milk, bread, cooked rice, vermilion powder and flowers to feed and worship the crow. They displayed all these offerings on the platform and all of them stayed little away from the tree so that the crow could come and accept the offerings.
Seeing nobody on the platform Luse came down from the tree. Since he was hungry and thirsty he drank the milk and ate the food hurriedly. When he was full he flew up to the branches and hid behind the leaves.
Meanwhile, other crows including Chuchhe and Buchhe arrived there. When they started to attacking the offerings the villagers drove them away with sticks and stones.
Luse wondered at the villagers’ strange behavior with the other crows. He tried to find out why they welcomed him and drove the others away. He guessed that it must be because of the white color of his feathers. He himself had never seen a crow with white feathers. He felt pity on Chuchhe and Buchhe. He did not mind their mischief.
People gathered at the platform again and started talking about the epic bird Kaagbhusundi. Some of them started singing religious songs. They even discussed about constructing a temple for Kaagbhusundi near the cross-road.
It was getting dark. Birds had started returning home. Chuchhe, Buchhe and other crows had returned to the forest. However, Luse decided to pass the night on the Bar tree.
It rained at night. It was a great relief not only for the villagers but also for other living beings. People living in the village and around became happy. They thanked the graceful white crow for the rain.
In the morning when the sun appeared on the horizon Luse looked at his body. Alas! His feathers were white no more. The rain had washed his feathers. His dark body was shining in the sun.
Poor Luse flew straight towards the forest in search of Chuchhe and Buchhe.
(Source : Binaya Kasajoo’s Blog)
