The Eagle and the Crow

Once upon a time in Rus’, there lived a crow with her nannies and nursemaids, her little children and her nearby neighbours. Geese and swans flew in and laid…

Once upon a time in Rus’, there lived a crow with her nannies and nursemaids, her little children and her nearby neighbours. Geese and swans flew in and laid their eggs, but the crow began to bully them and steal their eggs.

An owl happened to fly past. Seeing the crow bully the larger birds, he flew to a blue-grey eagle. He arrived and begged:

“Father Blue-grey Eagle! Give us a just judgment against that scoundrel of a crow.”

The blue-grey eagle sent his nimble messenger, the sparrow, to fetch the crow. The sparrow flew off at once and seized her. She tried to resist, but he gave her a kicking and brought her to the blue-grey eagle all the same.

The eagle began the trial.

“You scoundrel of a crow, you scatterbrain, with your filthy beak and your s... tail! They say you have your eye on other people’s property and steal eggs from the larger birds.”

“Slander, Father Blue-grey Eagle, slander!”

“And they say that when a peasant goes out to sow, you rush out with your whole noisy crew and start scattering everything.”

“Slander, Father Blue-grey Eagle, slander!”

“And they also say that when the women go reaping and lay their sheaves in the field, you rush out with your whole noisy crew and start scattering and tossing everything about again.”

“Slander, Father Blue-grey Eagle, slander!”

The crow was sentenced to prison.