The Fowler and The Birds
Aesop | Greece
A bird hunter accidentally pricks himself, and a young bird mistakes his tears for remorse, but an older bird knows the truth.
Once upon a time, there was a man who liked to catch birds. He set up a smart trap in the forest to catch them. One day, while he was working on his trap, he accidentally poked his finger on a sharp stick. It hurt a lot, and he started to cry.
In a tree nearby, a young bird saw the man. The bird saw the man's tears and thought he was sad. "Look," the young bird said to an older bird next to it, "the man is crying. He must feel bad for catching and hurting us."
The older bird, who was very wise, shook its head and said, "Don't be fooled, my dear. Those tears are not because he feels sorry for us. They are because the sharp stick hurt him, not because he regrets what he did."
The older bird taught the young one to be careful and smart. It said that not everything is as it seems. Sometimes, people cry for different reasons, and not all tears mean they are sad for what they have done.
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