Crows Landing (standard:Fan Fiction, 2301 words)
Author: Juggernaut	Added: Nov 23 2010	Views/Reads: 2927/2174	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A story on family of crows on a Neem tree

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

nests. “I wish we had small tender beaks like the sparrows to bring 
small softer objects to built more comfortable nests,” said Neeli 
looking at a sparrow's nest not too far from their nest. 

“True, but to build a nest like sparrows', we need lot of materials.
Look at our nest, we built it in a few days time. With few twigs placed 
on the tree branch joint, we were all set. Now, we would go around to 
steal few shinning metal spoons and small containers to finish the 
decoration,” Akash was satisfied with his work. 

Neeli never liked the stealing part of crows' life. Neeli's father and
mom stole small shinning metal spoons and containers to decorate their 
nest. People climbed trees to look for crows' nests to collect these 
objects. Some people even threw the crow's eggs from the nests when 
looking for these. 

“Akash, please don't steal any objects to decorate our nests, I don't
really care for those, get some coconut coir to place on the floor of 
the nest so I can lay eggs on soft coir than rough twigs,” murmured 
Neeli. 

“Crow's nest without even a small stolen object? thought Akash. My
parents and their parents stole small objects for decorating their 
nests, it is a crows tradition to steal,” Akash determined to steal at 
least one small metal spoon to place in their nest. 

But at first, Akash flew over to Dharma, the old crow for his advice on
decorating nest with stolen metal objects. “Well, we the crows' were 
infamous for stealing small shinning metal objects, even we forgot over 
the years the reason behind why we steal small metal objects,” said 
Dharma looking at a few stolen metal small spoons in his own nest. 

“The shinning metal objects in the nest would absorb heat from the Sun
to keep  baby chicks warm, that's why, we steal shinny objects to place 
in our nests; not many crows know this, they think the objects are for 
decoration,” explained Dharma. 

“I shall explain this to Neeli to get permission to steal a few metal
spoons and small containers thought Akash, flying back to it's nest in 
a hurry.” 

Ravana, Neeli's brother had a nice nest on a Mango tree. Rani, Ravana's
wife was proud of their nest, and particularly the stolen goods in 
their nest. Once in a while Neeli would visit her brother's nest when 
searching for food in Ravana's neighborhood, Rani, though very 
hospitable towards to Neeli, would always show off their new 
acquisitions; an odd shaped butter container from seafood restaurant, a 
small silver spoon from nearby temple, and other knickknacks.  For a 
crow, Ravana has an unusually long beak, and he skillfully used it in 
stealing all kinds of small metal objects.  Ravana always offered a 
small object as a gift whenever his sister visited him but Neeli never 
accepted it. Neeli had difficulty in accepting stolen goods as a gift 
even from her own brother. 

One day, while Neeli was attending the household chores of cleaning her
nest, the crows on the tree were agitated, some flying low, and others 
making uninviting crow, crows sounds. The neem tree residents 
surrounded an unusually large crow the landed on the lower branch of 
the tree. This crow was much darker with a huge beak as if it came from 
a different country.  The neem tree residents were trying to torment 
the foreigner to drive him away from the neem tree. Surprisingly, 
Dharma, the old crow lead the resident crows in harassing the foreign 
crow. Akash also joined the attacking force to drive off the foreigner. 
 Afterwards, Neeli understood that the large crows live in forests, and 
not related to crows like her that live in towns. On occasions, the 
forest crows fly around towns to kidnap young crows to take them back 
to put to work as slaves in the forests. The town crows immediately 
identify the forest crows by their unusually large size, and drive them 
off before they kidnap any of their young ones. Neeli was glad that 
Akash, and other male birds acted swiftly when they identified the 
forest crow that landed on the neem tree. 

Akash and Neeli had noticed once in a while, an old teacher from a
nearby school would bring her class students to the neem tree to 
explain the benefits of the neem tree. She would show samples of neem 
tree leaves, twigs, small ripe fruits, and seeds that dropped on the 
ground to her students, and allow them to taste the bitterness of the 
twigs. Most students would spit out quickly with disgust after chewing 
the twig for few seconds. The teacher would then explain the good deeds 
of crows on the neem tree that drop neem seeds to the ground after 
eating the sweet fruit pulp. “Not all the people think that crows were 
a bunch of thieves,” thought Akash and Neeli after listening to what 
the old teacher had to say about crows. “I wish there were more people 
out there to crow about our good deeds to the society such as our work 
as scavengers picking up anything off the street that we can eat,” 
muttered Neeli with sadness. 

The crows have their own town meetings mostly on a warm sunny day. The
area crows would gather on a terrace of a high-rise building, and 
discussed many topics pertaining to their every day living. An 
experienced old crow like Dharma, and few others shared their life 
experience with younger crows to protect themselves from the dangers of 
every day living.  Dharma, whose wife died by the hands of a tribes man 
would always caution crows to be wary of tribes men roaming the streets 
with a slingshot in their hand looking for easy prey such as 
unsuspecting crows resting on utility lines or posts, or those flying 
low.  Young crows were also warned not to be tempted to feed on food 
placed at certain areas as some wicked people would poison crows by 
tricking them to eat poisoned food. 

Dharma would always close his presentation by concluding that death by
accident on landing on power lines would be less painful, and quick 
than dying slowly in the hands of cruel tribes men or by feeding on 
poisoned food some unscrupulous people might offer to unsuspecting 
birds. 

Akash and Neeli were now established residents of the neem tree. If
crows in search of a new home were to land on the neem tree, Akash and 
Neeli would welcome them in friendly voice, and other residents crowed 
along with them.  While the new comers build their nest, the resident 
crows would give them metal objects as kind of house or nest warming 
gifts, a new tradition, Akash and Neeli introduced to help settle crows 
landing on the neem tree. 

On occasions, people gathered under the neem tree to pray to the village
goddess. The ceremony was colorful with women who danced as if they 
were possessed by the drumbeat. People were fearful of cutting down 
neem trees from fear of curse from unknown spirits. Akash and Neeli 
felt safe to live on the neem tree. 

One day, Neeli to her disappointment laid only one egg. She surrounded
herself among small metal containers to keep herself warm while sitting 
on the egg to incubate it. One day, a small chick began to appear while 
the eggshell slowly cracked open. Neeli with her beak helped the chick 
to get out of the broken shell. Akash sat not too far from the nest and 
observed the entire delicate proceedings with utmost affection, and 
love towards Neeli, and the newborn. 

The metal objects in the nest maintained warmth around the newborn chick
when Neeli rested outside the nest for short periods of time. Akash 
flew constantly to get as much food he could gather to feed Neeli who 
spent most time with the chick. 

One afternoon, not too far from the neem tree, the resident crows were
flying low, and crowed constantly. On the ground was Dharma who laid 
dead not too far from a live power line. Akash was saddened to find his 
mentor dead, but he was relieved that Dharma was not shot by a tribes 
man or poisoned.   Dharma was lucky that he died the way he preferred, 
quick and painless. Akash brought the sad news to Neeli resting in the 
nest. Neeli immediately flew over the area where Dharma's body was 
laying dead, and saw few mongrel dogs fighting for Dharma's dead body. 

The chick grew quickly. Akash and Neeli named their chick SuDharma, as a
remembrance of their old friend Dharma. . SuDharma practiced flying, 
and landing safely on the neem tree branches. His legs were at first 
feeble, and had trouble landing firmly on the branches, but as the body 
grew stronger, SuDharma learned how to land firmly, and how to take-off 
without tumbling. 

“We the crows were neither pretty like parrots or peacocks, nor do we
receive designated areas in zoo, but we live on our own, scavenging the 
streets, a public service not always recognized,” lectured Neeli on a 
routine basis to her son SuDharma. 

Akash and Neeli encouraged their son to take the initiative to start his
own life as the chick transformed into a young adult.  They gave the 
same advice they received from Dharma: fly high, and out of reach of 
tribes men, and never to feed on easy food as it could be poisoned. 

“Please drop by us, if you are to be in this area and don't forget to
visit your uncle Ravana,” said Neeli while SuDharma made final flight 
preparations to leave his parents' nest. 

SuDharma crowed good bye to his parents and flew unsteadily around the
neem tree. Then soared high into the sky, headed east with his wings 
flapping up and down gracefully looking for a tree - mango, tamarind or 
a neem, to build a nest to start a family of it's own. 


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