The Bird Pair and the Sea
The Bird Pair and the Sea
One day, the female Tittibha bird felt very happy. She said softly to her husband,
“My dear, the time has come. I want to lay my eggs and start our little family.”
The male Tittibha bird smiled and replied,
“That is wonderful news! Tell me what you need, and I will help you.”
The female bird looked around and said carefully,
“Please find a safe and quiet place for me to lay my eggs. The sea can be dangerous, especially on full moon nights. The waves become very big and strong.”
The male bird laughed proudly and said,
“Why are you worried? Look around! Is there a better place than this sea shore? This is our home. Lay your eggs here without fear.”
The female bird shook her head and replied,
“No, my dear. I am afraid. The sea waves can become very high. They can even pull a big elephant into the water. We should find a safer place.”
But the male bird did not listen. He said in a proud voice,
“The sea will never dare to harm my children. Do not worry so much.”
The sea heard all this. The waves moved gently, but inside, the sea felt angry.
“This tiny bird is too proud,” thought the sea. “He thinks I am weak. I will teach him a lesson.”
After a few days, the female Tittibha bird laid her eggs on the shore, just as her husband wanted. The eggs were small, white, and very precious to the birds.
Every day, the husband and wife flew away together to find food. They trusted that their eggs were safe.
One afternoon, when the birds were away, the sea grew restless. Big waves rose higher and higher.
Whoosh!
Splash!
The waves rushed toward the shore and washed away the eggs into the deep sea.
When the birds returned in the evening, the nest was empty.
The female bird looked around again and again. Then she cried loudly,
“Oh no! Our eggs are gone! I told you this would happen!”
She began to weep and said,
“If only you had listened to me, our children would be safe.”
The male Tittibha bird tried to look confident, but he was very sad inside. Still, he said,
“Do not cry, my dear. I will show you my strength. I will make the sea return our eggs.”
The female bird looked surprised and asked,
“How will you do that?”
The male bird replied proudly,
“I will dry the sea by drinking all its water with my beak.”
The female bird gasped and said,
“Are you serious? The sea is huge! Big rivers like the Ganga and Indus flow into it. How can you dry the sea?”
But the male bird replied stubbornly,
“Even small creatures can defeat big enemies if they have courage. I will work day and night. Hard work always wins.”
The wife knew she could not stop him. She said gently,
“My dear, please ask your friends for help. Alone, this task is impossible.”
The male bird agreed. He called his bird friends—the swan, the crane, the peacock, and many others. He told them everything about the sea and his lost eggs.
The birds listened quietly. Then one of them said,
“Friend, this is not possible for us. We cannot dry the sea.”
Another bird said,
“But we can go to Garuda, the king of birds. He is powerful and wise. He can help us.”
All the birds agreed. Together, they flew to Garuda and told him their sad story.
Garuda became angry and said,
“The sea has done a great wrong. If this continues, no bird will be safe.”
Garuda decided to teach the sea a lesson. Just then, a messenger from Lord Vishnu came and asked for Garuda’s help for a heavenly task.
Garuda replied firmly,
“I cannot come now. The sea has harmed my people. Tell Lord Vishnu that I will not help unless the sea returns the eggs.”
When Lord Vishnu heard this, he understood Garuda’s pain. He went himself to meet Garuda and said kindly,
“You are right. Let us go together and fix this.”
They went to the sea shore. Lord Vishnu thundered,
“O Sea! You have done wrong. Return the eggs at once, or face my anger.”
The sea trembled with fear. It quickly returned the eggs safely to the shore.
The Tittibha birds were overjoyed. They thanked Garuda and Lord Vishnu.
THE END
Moral of the Story:
Never underestimate the power of unity and courage. Even the small and humble can defeat the mighty when they stand together.
Story Comprehension Questions and Answers
1. Where did the Tittibha birds live?
Answer: The Tittibha birds lived on the sea coast.
2. Why did the female Tittibha bird want a safe place?
Answer: She wanted a safe place to lay her eggs and protect her babies from danger.
3. Why was the female bird afraid of the sea?
Answer: She was afraid because the sea waves become very big and strong, especially on full moon nights.
4. Did the male Tittibha bird listen to his wife?
Answer: No, he did not listen and believed the sea would not harm their eggs.
5. What happened to the eggs when the birds went to find food?
Answer: The sea waves washed the eggs away into the sea.
6. How did the female bird feel after losing the eggs?
Answer: She felt very sad and cried because she had warned her husband earlier.
7. What did the male bird plan to do at first?
Answer: He planned to dry the sea by drinking its water with his beak.
8. Why was this plan not possible?
Answer: Because the sea is very large and rivers keep filling it with water.
9. Who helped the Tittibha birds?
Answer: Other birds, King Garuda, and Lord Vishnu helped them.
10. Why did Garuda get angry with the sea?
Answer: Because the sea harmed innocent birds by taking their eggs.
Moral & Thinking Questions
11. What lesson does this story teach us?
Answer: We should not underestimate anyone, and unity makes us strong.
12. Why is it important to listen to good advice?
Answer: Good advice can protect us from danger and help us make better decisions.
13. What would have happened if the birds did not ask for help?
Answer: They would not have gotten their eggs back.
14. How did teamwork help in this story?
Answer: Teamwork helped the birds get support from powerful friends and solve the problem.
15. What does this story teach about pride?
Answer: Too much pride can cause problems, and humility is important.
Discussion Questions and Answers
16. If you were the male bird, what would you do differently?
Answer: I would listen to my wife and choose a safer place.
17. Why should we ask elders or teachers for help?
Answer: Because they have experience and can guide us wisely.
18. Have you ever learned from a mistake like the male bird?
Answer: (Child can answer in their own words.)
Bonus Moral Questions for Exams & Worksheets
19. Who is the king of birds in the story?
Answer: Garuda is the king of birds.
20. What happened after Lord Vishnu warned the sea?
Answer: The sea returned the eggs and asked for forgiveness.
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