The moral of the story is arrogance brings about downfall.
The haughty Crow flew about the forest every day, telling animals and birds what to do. He told the owls to hoot in a proper manner, the deer to organize how they eat their grass so they didn't have to travel far and wide every day. He taught the fish how to swim so they wouldn't get tired, the moles he explained the most proper way to dig good tunnels deep and strong. He didn't do any of it, but he told them all about it.
I am the smartest of them all, he thought, all of them combined are no match for my intelligence and abilities. Why must I be surrounded by such medicore fools, he said while nobody was around, and sighed. I must suffer through life so I mady help others, he said around everybody else, how would you guys even survive without me. The forest will disappear the day I'm gone. The air will stop flowing, the rivers will freeze, I worry so much about each and every one of you, and all everybody does disappoints me, he said out aloud.
The animals got pretty annoyed at his words and actions, but they kept quiet. In the forest meetings they talked about him and his arrogance. He told me how to collect juice from a certain flower more efficiently, the honeybee said, and when I asked him how he just shook his head and said I was such a fool for not knowing that and flew away. The butterfly said, he told me about changing my patters so I'd look pretty for the guys and gals out there, but when I asked how he said I was probably too weak and stupid to do it anyway even if he told me. He told me he knew of a technique that'd help me move much faster, the turtle said, and he never followed up even when I offered him lots of money to help me.
The animals talked about how the haughty Crow loved crowing about doing things well and succeeding and achieving greatness but he had never broken as much as a twig by himself. He was too lazy even to make a nest for himself and bring up his young chicks, he hid his eggs among others birds so they did that work. We have to teach him a lesson, they agreed, but they couldn't agree on what thbe lesson would be.
One day as he flew about the forest looking to impart his tremendous wisdom to the unconsenting animals of the forest, he saw something shiny in the ground. He flew carefully to it, but couldn't figure out what he was. As he landed to the ground and walked at it, he realized it was another crow. My, he thought, what a beautiful crow it is, just like myself. What great eyes, what great wings, the color is just wonderful. I need to befriend this beast.
As the haughty crow walked towards the shiny object, an automatic trap fell upon him, entrapping him into a small space. He realized the shiny object was just showing a reflection of himself in the mirror. He pecked at the cage to no avail, he pushed at it but it wouldn't budge. He tried digging into the ground to tunnel away from it, but the ground was far too packed for his weak beak.
Eventually, he began calling various animals and birds of the forest for help. Oh, they said, one after another, can't you just push it away? Can't you just bite the wire? Can you not fly with the cage? Are you too weak to stomp the cage? And so on and on and on. Finally, an old owl came to him and said, dear Crow friend, you have found yourself in a real trap laid by the humans, but now you feel how the rest of us feel when we need help and you show your arrogant ways to us. As you can see, you can survive and succeed in this forest only when we actively support each other without judgment. I hope this has been a lesson for you.
The haughty Crow realized the mistake of his ways, and promised to not make fun of others in the forest, not be arrogant and haughty in front of others. He said he was terribly sorry for making the mistake, he didn't realize he made other people feel like crap and he wouldn't do it again. It was enough for the denizens of the forest, and they used their combined skills to tear apart the cage and set him free. The human hunters came back that evening to find an empty chewed-out cage.
Thereon the Crow lived in peace with everyone of the forest, and helped all with great earnestness.
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