The Folly of Imitation: Embracing One's Natural Abilities

Once upon a time, there was a hawk that resided atop a hill. At the bottom of the hill, a banyan tree stood, serving as a perch for a foolish crow. This crow had a peculiar habit of imitating others.

Every day, the hawk would descend from the hill in search of food. The crow observed the hawk, witnessing how it would circle in the sky for hours, then swiftly dive down to catch its prey. The hawk possessed keen eyesight, allowing it to spot its target from the hilltop before swooping down to seize it.

Watching the hawk, the crow thought to itself, "Ha! If the hawk can do it, so can I. What makes it so special? One day, I'll prove to the hawk that I can do the same." Fueled by misguided confidence, the crow made a plan.

A few days later, while the hawk was circling overhead, the crow decided to imitate its hunting technique. Just then, a baby rabbit emerged from the bushes. Both the hawk and the crow spotted the rabbit simultaneously.

Before the crow could make a move, the hawk swiftly descended, capturing the rabbit with its sharp talons, and disappeared into the sky with its prey. All the crow could hear was the whooshing sound as the hawk vanished. Filled with anger, the crow muttered, "That's not such a great skill after all."

In that moment, the crow noticed a plump mouse emerging from a hole. Without wasting a second, the crow attempted to imitate the hawk's hunting technique, swooping down to catch the mouse with its claws.

However, the mouse spotted the crow and swiftly evaded its grasp, causing the crow to crash into the hillside. In pain, the crow let out a cry of distress.

At that very moment, the hawk descended once again. "I hope you now understand that hunting is not easy, and neither is blindly imitating others," the hawk remarked before flying away.

From that day forward, the crow abandoned its habit of imitation and embraced its own natural abilities. It lived a content life, appreciating the unique gifts it had been bestowed with.