The bird had a nest in a tall and shady tree. The bird took care of her babies. One day, a strong storm uprooted many trees. The mother bird was killed, but her babies survived. The wind blew them away to the other side of the forest.
One of the lived with a gang of robbers and learnt their ways. The other landed outside a Rishi’s ashram. The king of the country came to the forest to hunt. He followed a deer and lost his way. He became very tired and sat under a tree. The king was shocked when he heard that a brown bird called robbers to take his jewels and horse away. The king became afraid and ran away.
The King Reached the Rishi’s Ashram
The king reached the ashram and sat down under a tree. A bird welcomed the king and asked him to take rest. The bird told him to have some water and make himself comfortable. The king noticed that the bird looked like the same brown bird. The bird told the king that the brown bird was his brother but he has made friends with robbers.
The King Met the Rishi and Told him the Entire Story
The King told the Rishi about the two birds and how differently they behaved with him. The birds looked the same, but were different in nature. The holy man said that one is known by the kind of company one keeps. The bird, who lived with robbers, talks about robbing people. The bird lived with a Rishi, learnt good things from him. It is the result of the company, they kept.