Parables of Wisdom
The Birds and the Lion
पंछी और शेर · પંખીઓ અને સિંહ
A proud lion orders every bird out of the great banyan tree
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A proud lion wants silence for his afternoon sleep and orders all the birds to leave their banyan tree. Alone each bird is afraid, but together they find a brave and gentle answer.
What it teaches Unity Courage without violence Humility
The opening of the children's telling
In a big forest stood a big banyan tree. Lots and lots of birds lived there. Parrots, sparrows, doves and one wise old crow. All day long they sang.
One day a proud lion named Garjan came to sleep under the tree. But the birds' singing woke him up. "ROAR! Go away, all of you!" he said. "By tomorrow morning, this tree is mine!"
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Small ones who stand together, and hurt no one, can be braver than the loudest roar.
To talk about together
Why do you think the birds decided not to peck or hurt the lion, even though he was unkind?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.