Some birds had built their nests on a tree with dense foliage. The tree stood on the bank of a river. The leaves protected the birds, both against direct sunlight as also against rain.
One day, the sky suddenly became overcast and soon it began to rain. The rain that started as a drizzle took a turn for the worse and it began to pour like cats and dogs. The bird family entered their nest to seek protection from the downpour. A group of monkeys passing by, on being caught in the rain, decided to seek shelter under the cover of the thick tree. Despite the thick foliage, the monkeys got completely drenched.
On hearing some sound under the tree, the head of the bird family peeped out of the nest and saw a bunch of monkeys shivering in the rain. The bird could not help remarking, ?See, we are so much smaller than you, yet we build our nests with twigs which we carry in our beaks and collect one by one. Now, look at you, you are so big and strong but you prefer to waste your time in jumping over branches instead of building a shelter for yourself.?
On hearing this sermon from a tiny creature like a bird, the monkeys became red with rage. But controlling, ?Look at these tiny creatures. Just because they are nestled cosily among the branches, they are preaching to us. When it stops raining, we?ll teach them a lesson.?
After some time it stopped raining. Now the monkeys, seeing that it was their turn to teach the birds a lesson, scrambled up the tree and destroyed the entire nest of the bird family.
Taken aback at this turn of events, the birds scrambled for safety and flew away hither and thither, seeking shelter elsewhere.
This just goes to show that it is better not to advise fools for it may only end in bringing about destruction upon yourself.
(Retold from stories from Hitopdesha.)
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