In the heart of a lush green forest, there lay a sparkling blue lake. This lake was home to many tiny fish and colorful insects. Near the edge of the lake stood a massive banyan tree, where a crow named Karikalan lived.
One sunny morning, Karikalan woke up with a very hungry stomach. He flew down to the lakeside to search for breakfast. As he landed, he spotted a small, shimmering fish fragment washed up near the shore. His eyes brightened. 'If I eat this, my hunger will be gone for a while,' he thought.
However, Karikalan was a very greedy bird. A thought crossed his mind: 'This tiny piece is too small for a strong bird like me. If I wait just a little longer, I might catch a huge fish or a fat frog. That would be a real feast!'
Instead of eating the small piece, he sat perfectly still, watching the water. A moment later, a small frog hopped onto a nearby stone. Karikalan prepared to strike, but then he saw a large fish swimming in the distance. 'Forget the frog! That big fish is the prize I want!' he decided, choosing to wait even longer.
As the hours passed, the golden sun began to set behind the trees. Karikalan waited and waited, but no large fish came near the shore. As the light faded, all the big fish grew scared and swam deep into the dark waters where he couldn't reach them.
Exhausted and trembling with hunger, Karikalan looked around. The only thing left near the shore was a tiny, slow-moving snail. With no other choice, he had to settle for the snail, which barely filled his stomach. By waiting for a grand feast that never came, he ended up with much less than what he could have had.
Moral
Value the opportunities you have instead of losing everything by chasing greed.
