A shalmali tree stood on the banks of a canal flowing down to the Narmada river. In its hollows, weaver birds had nested, protected from the cold and rains. One day, a storm broke out. A troop of monkeys came to the tree looking for shelter from the downpour. The birds looked at the monkeys standing under the tree, wet and shivering in the cold. The birds were very proud that they were safe from the bad weather. They watched the monkeys making all kinds of efforts to keep warm. But they were so wet that there did not seem to be any way at all for them to get warm. The birds felt very superior looking at them, because they were dry and warm. They whispered among themselves about the stupid monkeys. “You should have been wise like us and built nests!” jeered the birds.
The Weaver Birds and the Monkeys
