The foolish finch

A finch made a nest with a bluejay. The two birds foraged for food together. One day, food was very scarce. While he was foraging, finch found an acorn. He also came across a robin. Finch knew that the acorn was the only food left. Whomever he gave the acorn to, whether it was bluejay or robin, the other bird would surely go hungry. Finch flew home with the acorn and gave it to bluejay.

Throughout the night, robin sang mournfully. Finch stood on a branch near the nest and sang back, hoping to cheer her up. Meanwhile, bluejay was trying to crack open the acorn so that they could eat. She could not crack the shell on her own, and she needed finch’s help. But finch was too busy singing to the starving robin.

The hungry bluejay had no choice but to fly away from the nest and search for food on her own. Finch, now alone, realized his folly. He couldn’t open the acorn by himself either. And bluejay had flown away. Finch wept in the nest that night, knowing that he had hurt his best friend in the world. ‘What a fool I’ve been,’ he cried.

The world goes around, the sun rises and sets, and hungry birds search for food. Some birds will not find enough. That is the way of things. When two birds have built a nest, one should always be attentive to his mate. The two of them will at least be able to eat then. If he neglects her, everyone will go hungry. It is better for one bird to go hungry than three.