Once in a faraway land, where truth and justice prevailed because of a wise King rule. He loved his subjects dearly. So, he also loved to disguise himself as a commoner. He would then set out to observe the true situation of his kingdom.
One such day, the king found two bird catchers arguing loudly at the village square. They were arguing about where to sell their birds. Each debated the finer points of food, care, and supportive environment. As their argument got intense, a few people stopped to watch them have it out. The crowd wanted the argument to end in a fist fight on a boring afternoon.
Now, the King passing by the street was curious to know what the commotion was about. He moved closer and entered the circle of people watching the duo. He thought it would be best to watch and observe. So, he remained a silent onlooker.
From a nearby bakery a young girl rushed to make way through the crowd. She was covered in flour and had the look of determination to end the argument. She walked towards the bird catchers who were heatedly arguing. She was a pretty lady with eyes of deep wisdom. When she reached them, she called a stop to the argument. The king was struck by her beauty and was curious how she would end it.
She forced herself into the argument and asked them all to clear the space in front of the bakery. It was morning time, and her business was affected. Both the bird catchers turned towards the young girl who had a small build but loud commanding voice.
Then, someone volunteered to explain the dispute to her now that a woman is also involved. The crowd was expecting a lot of fun on a boring day. She thought for a moment and said that environmental influence in behavior has strong and lasting personal change. While the bird may be fed well, receive little care; but the lessons of life that they learn will be the most important ones.
The King was interested in her inference and asked if this could be proved. Now the crowd turned to the newcomer. The girl turned around and looked at the person who spoke. She saw a young man with bright eyes. She then said, “Of course, it can be understood by a simple test of environmental influences.
On hearing this some booed and some praised her. It clearly seemed that the dispute would remain unresolved. After much squabbling over who was right and who was wrong. The girl suggested them and said, “Lend me two parrots that can talk in your group of birds the bird catchers caught.
The bird catchers agreed, and they picked two equally skilled talking parrots and gave it to the girl. They prepared two cages and placed a parrot in each and gave it to her. Then, she announced that all the yeasayers and naysayers should meet again after a month in front of her bakery. She picked the parrots and went into her shop.
Every evening she would pass by a butcher’s shop on her way home, she entered the butcher’s shop and asked him if she could leave a bird cage with him. The butcher agreed and she left a month’s food for the parrot and asked the butcher to fill the water when it is used up. The butcher agreed to look after the parrot for her.
After taking her leave the girl walked into the forest to reach her home. In the forest, on her way to her home was a hermit’s house. She knocked on his door and explained how she was searching for a temporary residence for the talking parrot in the cage. The sage listened to her explanations and replied that he was willing to provide shelter and care for the parrot. When she offered to provide food for the parrot the sage stopped her and said that he would provide food, water, and care in the event of ailment.
Pleased with the sage’s promise the girl returned to her home past the hermitage. A month later the girl collected the parrots and placed them on a table laid out her bakery. The crowd was already gathered, and the girl waited for the bird catchers as they joined huffing and puffing. The king in disguise arrived to know what the girl had to say.
The girl had covered the parrot with a black cloth and when she removed it for the first parrot, it began cursing and abusing. The people gathered there were surprised and shocked to hear cuss words from a parrot. Then, she removed the cloth from the second parrot. The parrot looked around and addressed the crowd with gentle and kind words.
She then explained that the environment were both the parrots had resulted in their change in personalities. The butcher’s life was filled with rough speaking people and the parrot had learnt his lesson under that rude care.
While she explained the parrot from the hermitage had been meeting scholars and the sage was known as a kind-hearted person and the parrot had imbibed those qualities of the sage. In this way she inferenced that environment also plays a huge role in structuring a human or an animal’s behavior in the long run.
The king was overjoyed and stepped away from the crowd. He revealed that he was the king and rewarded the girl for her wisdom and intelligence. He invited her to his palace and agreed to marry her. Her father was overjoyed and within a week could end the royal wedding took place. Bringing in much joy and happiness for the people of the kingdom.
In this way, a young king married a maid from the bakery.
Itinerant Storyteller 