Reading Notes: Tales of a Parrot, Part B

The Frog, the Bee, and the Bird, who Killed the Elephant

The story began in the same format as all of Nakhshabi's others. Where Khojisteh and the parrot are talking and then the parrot goes into a story. In this instance, Khojisteh is wanting to leave to go meet her lover, and the parrot says that he will help unite them. However, Khojisteh does not know how the parrot would do so, so in response the parrot tells a story of how three small animals took down an elephant. His point being, if those three can accomplish their 'impossible' task, then why can the parrot and Khojisteh not do the same?

The story the parrot told began with a bird that had recently laid eggs in a tree. An elephant, unknowingly, brushed up against the tree and knocked down all of her eggs-killing them all. Understandably, the bird was distraught and wanted revenge on the elephant. After rounding up friends and venturing to see the wise frog for a plan, the bird, bee, and frog were prepared to take down the 'beast'. To begin their vengeance, the bee buzzed in the elephant's ear until he was mad. Then the bird poked out the elephant's eyes with his beak in order to blind him. Finally, the elephant grew thirsty and was unable to find water-however he knew that if he heard frog's croaking, he would be close. So the frog croaked and the elephant followed the sound. However, the elephant had been tricked byt he frog purposely leading his astray from water and into a large hole where he could not escape. After some time of no one hearing the elephant's cries, he died. With the conclusion of the story, the parrot told Khojisteh that the two of them could accomplish whichever desire they wanted.

Although this story was interesting to read, there are many changes I want to make to it. Elephants are commonly viewed as destructive, which they can be, but they are also sensitive understanding creatures. If I were to re-write this, I would either make the story so the elephant did not accidentally kill the eggs, or make a 'sequel' in which the elephant's child gets revenge on the three animals for what they did to their parent.

[Fallen egg from nest. Image Information.]

Bibliography

Nakhshabi, Ziya'al-Din. The Frog, the Bee, and the Bird, who Killed the Elephant. Tales of a Parrot 1801. Link

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