Long time ago there was a beautiful dense forest known as the Jetavana (meaning the forest or dwelling place of living creatures). It was located in Savatthi in India. According to folklore, Buddha was once residing in Jetavana.
One day, some people came to Buddha and told him about an owl. The people sighed, "O enlightened one, the forest owls have gone wild. They are chasing and killing the crows. A large number of crows have died".
Buddha smiled and said, "Time is the witness. The owls and crows are sworn enemies. They cannot stand each other. So do not be worried".
One of the man asked Buddha, "Why are they enemies?"
Thus, Buddha began narrating the story of animosity between the owls and the crows. The story dated far back in time.
Long back in time the forest animals thought of choosing their king. The king would protect the animals in times of adversity. He would lead the group and thus should be intelligent and just. He should be strong, powerful and enforcing. The animals came together and discussed. They decided to make lion the king of jungle.
Seeing that the animals now had a king, the birds were influenced. They decided to choose a king from their community who could rule them. But the birds were in a fix over the choice of their king, as there were many beautiful birds to choose from. There are many powerful birds as well. After many rounds of discussions and arguments, the birds decided to raise the wise owl to the position of their king. The Crow, however objected to this. He protested loudly, "An angry deep eyed bird like owl cannot be called the king. How can you make a day blind bird as your king? You all ought to make rational choice and an apt decision in this regard, as it the matter of pride and honour for the entire bird community.".
The birds were taken aback by the crow's statements. Hearing the hard words, the owl's face soared red in rage. His breath became shorter and swallower. It looked like he would reach the Crow right away and take off his eyes in his fury and rage.
Seeing that the owl was filled it rage, the Crow took a plunge. The owl soared in anger and hooted aloud.
The bird of the community were caught in fear and surprise to see the owl's rage. They thought it was inappropriate on part of a king bird to react so impulsively and adversely. They reconsidered their decision to choose the owl as their leader.
The birds finally came to a conclusion and choose the swan as their king. The swan was chosen for its grace. It was adorable and symbolised harmony. She was coronated in a grand ceremony. The birds celebrate the new kingship.
But on the other side, the owl was very disturbed. He did not attended the coronation ceremony. In fact, he felt very insulted and dejected by the decision of the forest animals. The owl blamed the crow for the loose of opportunity for kingship and insult faced by him. Henceforth the owl became a night bird. It slept during day to avoid facing other birds. Since then the owls became crow's enemies. Thus the owls brutally attack the Crows in want of revenge.
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