A Bird Narrated by: Kanai L Mukherjee (Grandpa), Edited by: David Thorndill

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The king’s loyal subjects obediently flew off in all directions.

The king’s nephew Jaquita found a road where oxen pulled wagons loaded with grain.

"How lucky I am" Jaquita said. "Look at all the spilled grain!"

He flew to the ground and feasted for the first time in three days.

"I will keep this a secret and not tell the King" said Jaquita to himself.

"But if someone else finds the grain too?" thought Jaquita in distress.

Then he quickly consoled himself, "I know! I’ll tell everyone about it. But I’ll make up a story that will frighten them away."

Jaquita flew back to the flock.

"You’ve been away a long time," his friends said.

"Did you find any food?" the King asked.

"A little bit" Jaquita replied. "But I nearly lost my life. I happened to fly over a highway. There were elephants and horses, and wagons pulled by fierce bulls."

"There must have been plenty of grain there" inquired the King.

"There is, but it’s too dangerous!" answered Jaquita. "The elephants and carts will crush you as you feed."

The birds thanked Jaquita and said they would search for food elsewhere. The selfish Jaquita hurried back to the road with the grain.

"That was very clever of me" said Jaquita with satisfaction. "Now I have all this grain to myself."

He picked at the grain as an oxen cart came down the road. The cart speeded up as it came down the hill. Jaquita looked up when he heard the noise and felt the ground shake.

"Oh, no! It’s almost upon me," he cried.

But it was too late and he could not fly away. The cart ran him over.