A merchant was keeping a bird in a cage. Having to travel to India, the original country of the bird, he asked the bird if he wanted him to bring something back from that country. The bird asked him to get his freedom, but the merchant denied it to him. So he asked him to go to a jungle in India and inform all the birds living there in freedom, about his captivity.
This is what the merchant did, but when he had just finished speaking, a wild bird, similar in everything to him, fell lifeless at the foot of the branch on which he was perched.
The merchant then thought that that bird was definitely a close relative of the bird in his cage, and he was saddened to have caused his death.
When he returned home, the bird asked him if he brought good news from India.
“Alas, no”, said the merchant, “I’m afraid the news is bad! One of your close relatives has fallen dead at my feet when I spoke about your captivity”.
He had just pronounced these words, that the indian bird collapsed too in the cage. “The news of the death of his relative killed him too”, thought the merchant. He was desolate; he picked the bird up and he put him on the window sill. Instantly, the bird came back to life and flew away to the nearest branch.
“Now you know”, said the bird to the merchant, “what was a calamity for you, for me it was a good news. And note how the message, about what to do to regain my freedom, it has been sent me from you, my jailer”.
The bird flew away, finally free.
