Story about happiness: The unhappy crow that compared to everyone else

There was once a crow who lived in the forest, content with his simple life. He never worried about how he looked or how he compared to other birds. He woke up each morning, flew freely through the trees, and enjoyed the vast sky. But one day, as he was soaring above a calm lake, he saw a swan gliding gracefully across the water. The crow gazed at the swan’s pristine white feathers and thought to himself, “This swan is so white, and I am so black. This swan must be the happiest bird in the world.” Unable to keep his thoughts to himself, the crow approached the swan and shared his feelings. “You must be the happiest and most beautiful bird in the world. Your feathers are so pure and bright. Compared to you, I feel plain and ordinary.” The swan, surprised by the crow’s words, shook her head. “I used to think I was the happiest bird,” she admitted, “until I saw a parrot. The parrot has two colors, while I have only one. I thought to myself that surely the parrot must be the happiest and luckiest bird in the world.”

Curious, the crow decided to search for the parrot. When he finally found the parrot resting on a tree branch, he shared his story. “I saw a swan and thought she was the happiest bird, but she told me that you, with your two colors, are even happier.” The parrot chuckled and said, “I was once happy with my colors until I saw a peacock. I only have two colors, but the peacock has many! People admire the peacock, and they celebrate its beauty. I think the peacock must be the happiest bird in the world.” The crow was eager to see the peacock for himself, so he flew to a zoo where peacocks were kept. As he arrived, he saw a large crowd gathered around a beautiful peacock. People admired its dazzling feathers and took pictures, enchanted by its beauty.

After the crowd left, the crow approached the peacock and said, “You are so beautiful! Every day, hundreds of people come to see you and admire your feathers. I can barely get people to notice me unless they want to shoo me away. You must be the happiest bird in the world!” To the crow’s surprise, the peacock sighed with sadness in his eyes. “Yes, people admire my beauty, but because of it, I am trapped in this cage. I cannot fly freely like you. They control where I go and when I can spread my feathers. I have seen many birds in my life, and I have come to realize that you, my friend, are the luckiest of all. You are free. You can go wherever you wish, soar through the sky, and live without bars confining you. Compared to me, you are the happiest bird in the world.” The crow was stunned. He had spent so much time thinking about what he lacked that he never realized the value of what he already had… his freedom. With a newfound appreciation for his life, he spread his wings and flew into the open sky, embracing the joy of simply being himself.