Long ago, the forest was a place of wonder where every creature had a special gift from the Creator. Some birds had feathers that shimmered like jewels, while others had songs that could wake the flowers. Everyone lived in harmony with their unique talents.
In this same forest lived a small creature named Vicky. Vicky was a bird, but unlike the swift eagles or the darting swallows, Vicky was not a fast flyer. Every morning, as the sun climbed high, the fast birds would race to the fruit trees. They would feast on the sweetest, juiciest mangoes and berries, leaving only the bruised or fallen fruit behind.
Vicky would arrive much later, tired and hungry, only to find the best treats gone. Instead of eating the soft, ripe fruit, Vicky had to settle for sour, dried-up scraps. This made Vicky very bitter. 'Why was I made so slow?' Vicky grumbled to the trees. 'It isn't fair! I want the best, just like the others.'
One evening, Vicky decided to complain directly to the Creator. 'Why did you give everyone speed except me?' Vicky demanded. 'I want to fly faster than anyone else so I can grab the finest fruits before the sun even rises!'
The Creator listened with a heavy heart. 'You do not realize the peace you have in the quiet moments,' the Creator said. 'While the others struggle in the heat of the day, you have the stillness of the night. But since you crave the speed and the competition of the day, I shall grant you a different path.'
'From now on, you shall fly in the cool shadows of the night when the world is quiet. You will have the strength to navigate the darkness, but to remind you of your choice to be different from the daytime birds, you shall sleep hanging upside down from the branches.'
And so, Vicky became the creature we know today. While the colorful birds sleep during the night, Vicky flies through the moonlight, always returning to rest upside down on a sturdy branch.
Moral
Greed for what others have can lead you to lose the simple peace you already possess.
