The Sparrow and the Crow

A sparrow and a crow decided to cook khichri for dinner. Khichri is rice and lentils cooked together, soft and warm and very good to eat. The sparrow brought the rice, the crow brought the lentils, and the sparrow did the cooking.

When the pot was ready, the crow hopped up for his share.

“Stop right there!” said the sparrow. “Nobody sits down to dinner as dirty as you! Your feathers are all black, and your head looks as if you rolled in ashes. Go and wash in the pond first.”

The crow felt rather cross at being called dirty. But he knew the sparrow was a very bossy little bird, so off he flew to the pond.

“Pond, Pond, I am Crow!
Give me water, let it flow,
So I can wash from beak to toe
And eat my khichri. Then I’ll go.
I’m a very clean crow, you know!”

“Of course you may have water,” said the pond. “But first go to the deer and borrow one of his horns. Then you can dig a little channel, and fresh clean water will run along it for you.”

So the crow flew to the deer.

“Deer, Deer, I am Crow!
Lend me a horn to dig a row,
So the pond’s clean water can flow,
And I can wash from beak to toe
And eat my khichri. Then I’ll go.
I’m a very clean crow, you know!”

“Of course you may have a horn,” said the deer. “But first go to the cow and fetch me some milk. If I drink it and grow big and strong, losing a horn will not hurt so much.”

So the crow flew to the cow.

“Cow, Cow, I am Crow!
Give me milk for Deer, and so
He’ll lend a horn to dig a row,
And the pond’s clean water will flow,
And I can wash from beak to toe
And eat my khichri. Then I’ll go.
I’m a very clean crow, you know!”

“Of course you may have milk,” said the cow. “But first bring me some grass. How can a cow make milk with nothing to eat?”

So the crow flew to the grass.

“Grass, Grass, I am Crow!
Give me some for Cow to chew,
She’ll give milk for Deer, and so
He’ll lend a horn to dig a row,
And the pond’s clean water will flow,
And I can wash from beak to toe
And eat my khichri. Then I’ll go.
I’m a very clean crow, you know!”

“Of course you may have some grass,” said the grass. “But first go to the blacksmith and ask him for a sickle to cut me with. Grass can’t cut itself, can it?”

So the crow flew to the blacksmith.

“Smith, Smith, I am Crow!
Make a sickle, then I’ll mow
Grass for Cow, who’ll give milk, so
Deer will lend a horn to dig a row,
And the pond’s clean water will flow,
And I can wash from beak to toe
And eat my khichri. Then I’ll go.
I’m a very clean crow, you know!”

“Happy to help,” said the blacksmith. “But first you must light my fire and blow the bellows for me.”

So the crow lit the fire, and he puffed and he pumped and he blew the bellows. The flames leapt higher and higher. The crow leaned in closer and closer, and then whoosh! He toppled forward, right towards the middle of the fire.

“Caw! Caw!” he squawked, and he flapped away just in time, with his tail feathers singed and smoking. Off he flew, as fast as his wings could carry him, and he did not stop until he was far, far away.

And the sparrow? She sat down by the pot and ate up every bit of the khichri herself.

Where this story comes from

Flora Annie Steel gathered this chain story for Tales of the Punjab, Told by the People, and R. C. Temple wrote the notes. He says the words of the crow’s song matter in the original, and he prints the verses in their original language with a strict translation that begins, “You are Mr. Tank, I am Mr. Crow, give me water.” The rhymes in this retelling are new.

The ending is softened for young listeners. In the original the crow falls into the blacksmith’s fire and is burnt, and the sparrow eats all the khichri; here he only singes his tail feathers and flies away.

Read the original: Flora Annie Steel, Tales of the Punjab (Project Gutenberg #6145, The Sparrow and the Crow)

Reading guidance: For ages 6–8 with an adult. This softened version includes a frightening fire accident and unfair treatment based on the crow’s appearance; its source note mentions a harsher ending.

A closer reading

The crow has already contributed the lentils and then works through every new demand. Calling him lazy reverses what the action shows. The sparrow’s claim that black feathers make him dirty is also unfair: their natural colour is not dirt. She uses that accusation to deny him his agreed share while he is kept busy elsewhere.

Each helper appears willing, but every offer depends on another task. The growing rhyme lets listeners hold the entire chain in memory; the blacksmith’s fire breaks it before any request is fulfilled. The crow’s escape softens the source ending, yet losing his dinner still leaves the initial unfairness unresolved.

Try this with the story

Draw five cards for pond, deer, cow, grass and blacksmith. Add an arrow showing what each asks the crow to obtain. At the end, make a sixth card showing a fair way for the sparrow to divide the meal; label it as your alternative ending, since the story itself does not give him his share.

Talk about it

• Why did the sparrow send the crow away to wash?
• Who did the crow have to ask for help? Can you remember them in order?
• Was the sparrow kind to the crow? What would you have done?
• Can you say the crow’s rhyme with all the helpers in it?

More stories like this

• The Monkey With The Tom Tom — another Indian chain tale with a rhyme
• The Jackal And The Partridge — another Punjabi animal tale with a trickster
• The Jackal And The Crocodile — another funny animal tale from Tales of the Punjab