The Jackdaw in the house

A farmer once caught a jackdaw in the wild and did not have the heart to kill it. So, he brought the bird to his house, tied a lengthy string to one of its legs and gave the bird to his children as a pet. The children were happy with the jackdaw and played with it joyfully.

Months passed. The jackdaw did not like the situation at the house and wanted to escape. It thought of various plans and finally decided on one. It started showing itself as a completely tame bird to all the family members. Even when they forgot to lock a window, the bird resisted the temptation to escape. Soon, the family members forgot that the bird was a wild bird.

One day, while everyone in the house was busy minding their own business, the bird seized an opportunity to fly out through the door. It could not believe its seemingly good fortune. It flapped its wings over the roofs of the villages and kept flying towards the forest. Alas! Before it realized what had happened, the string tied to its legs became entangled in the branches of a tree. All efforts to free itself were in vain. Thought the bird as it hanged upside down, “In gaining my freedom, I forgot the string of slavery and death tied to my legs.”

Beware of strings from the past!

Cut them off and fly to your freedom!