Sriram and the Fallen Crow Chick

Opposite ten-year-old Sriram’s house stood a roadside rain tree with multiple branches. In one of these branches, a crow built a nest and started its family by laying two eggs. In due course, the eggs hatched, and out came two chicks.

The joy of the mother crow knew no bounds. She made numberless sorties to bring her chicks choice tidbits. Sriram watched the mother and her chicks with fondness from the terrace of his house. At first, the mother crow feared the presence of Sriram on the roof; she was afraid the boy would try to harm her chicks. After a week, she understood that the boy had no intention of disturbing her happy family.

Days went by, and the chicks put on weight and feathers. Although their wings were not yet ready, they were restless to fly. One morning, one of the chicks fell to the ground below when it attempted to fly prematurely. The mother crow, not knowing what to do, started calling for help.

The fallen chick presented a pitiful sight. It kept opening and closing its mouth without making any sound. Then entered the scene, our hero Sriram. Sriram decided to do something about it. He realized that it was impossible for any ordinary person to put the chick back in the nest on the tree's top branches. The only people capable of such a feat were the firemen.

He dialed the fire service number and explained the situation to the officer. The officer first hesitated. "Should I go all the way with a fire service vehicle fitted with a telescopic ladder to restore a crow chick back to its nest?" he mused. However, the urgency, intense anxiety, and sincerity in the boy's voice made him decide to respond immediately.

The fire service van arrived within fifteen minutes. Until its arrival, Sriram stood near the chick, guarding it from street dogs and cats. The ladder was extended until it reached the height of the branch where the nest was located. A fireman climbed the ladder, carrying the chick in a cloth bag that hung from his neck. Placing the fallen chick back in the nest beside its sibling, he gave a thumbs-up sign to Sriram.

No sooner had the fireman descended to the ground and the ladder been lowered than the mother crow flew to the nest to fondle the restored chick. On learning about the incident, the Fire Service Chief invited Sriram to his office to present him with a bicycle. Along with the cycle came a letter of appreciation, which conferred on him the title: "Kind Kid of the Neighborhood."