As Kalu was about to take a bite, a jackal named Chala appeared below the tree. Chala, notorious for his own sly tricks, saw the bread and immediately wanted it for himself.

“Ah, dear Kalu! How wonderful to see you today,” Chala said sweetly, eyeing the bread. “You know, the birds of the forest have been talking about you. They say you have the most beautiful voice in all of Nepal! I’ve been longing to hear it.”

Kalu, though wise, was not immune to flattery. He paused and looked down at Chala, suspicious but intrigued.

“Surely, the stories of my voice have reached even the ears of a jackal,” thought Kalu. “But still, no harm in letting him praise me a little more.”

Chala, noticing Kalu’s hesitation, continued, “In fact, the king of the forest himself is curious about your voice. He believes you could be the next royal singer! Could you bless me with just a note of your heavenly song?”

Kalu, flattered beyond reason, wanted to impress the jackal. He puffed out his chest and opened his beak wide to sing. The moment he did, the bread fell from his mouth and landed directly in front of Chala.

With a triumphant grin, Chala quickly scooped up the bread and ran off, leaving Kalu on the branch, both hungry and embarrassed.

But as Chala sprinted away, the clever crow called after him, “Enjoy the bread, my friend, but remember, flattery is the easiest trick in the book. You may have won today, but next time, I’ll be the one laughing.”

From that day onward, Kalu became even wiser, knowing that while he might have fallen for Chala’s trick once, he wouldn’t be outwitted again. And the animals of the Nepali hills continued to speak of the clever crow, now even more revered for his humility and wisdom.

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