The Bird with Two Heads

High up in the branches of a giant banyan tree lived a very special bird named Bharunda. Bharunda was unique because he had one body but two separate heads—one on the left and one on the right.

The two heads shared the same stomach, the same pair of wings, and the same legs. But they had very different personalities. The Right Head was calm, polite, and wise. The Left Head was greedy, grumpy, and often jealous.

Despite their differences, they had to live together. When they flew, they had to flap wings in rhythm. When they walked, they had to agree on the direction. Most of the time, they managed to get along.

One sunny morning, Bharunda was hopping along the riverbank. The Right Head spotted a beautiful, golden fruit lying on the grass. It smelled like honey and mangoes. “Look!” said the Right Head. “What a delicious fruit! I have never seen one like this before.”

He picked it up and ate it. “Mmm,” he hummed. “This is the sweetest fruit I have ever tasted! It makes me feel strong and happy.”

The Left Head watched him eat. “That looks good,” said the Left Head. “Give me a bite.”

“I have already finished it,” said the Right Head gently. “But don’t worry! Since we share the same stomach, the nutrition and the taste will make you feel good too.”

The Left Head did not like this answer. “You are selfish!” he snapped. “You wanted to enjoy the taste all by yourself.”

“That’s not true,” said the Right Head. “I saw it first. Next time you find something, you can eat it.”

The Left Head stayed sulky and silent all day. A few days later, while they were flying over a different part of the forest, the Left Head spotted a strange-looking berry bush. The berries were bright red but looked dangerous.

“Aha!” said the Left Head. He swooped down and landed near the bush. “What is that?” asked the Right Head carefully. “That looks like a Blister Berry. It is very sour and will give us a terrible tummy ache.”

“I know!” said the Left Head angrily. “I am going to eat it.”

“But why?” cried the Right Head. “If you eat it, our tummy will hurt. We will both suffer!”

“I don’t care,” said the stubborn Left Head. “I want to teach you a lesson for eating that golden fruit without me. I will eat this bad berry, and you will suffer along with me!”

“Please, brother!” begged the Right Head. “Don’t be foolish. We are one. Hurting me hurts you too!”

But the Left Head was too angry to listen. He plucked the sour berry and swallowed it whole.

Almost immediately, their stomach began to churn. Gurgle… Grumble… Ouch! “Oh no!” groaned the Left Head. “My tummy hurts!” “Our tummy hurts!” corrected the Right Head, holding his belly with a wing.

Both heads felt miserable. They felt sick and weak. They couldn’t fly. They couldn’t walk. They just sat under the tree, groaning in pain.

As the pain faded hours later, the Left Head felt very ashamed. “I am sorry,” he whispered. “I was foolish holding onto my anger. In trying to hurt you, I hurt myself.”

The Right Head nudged him gently. “It is okay,” he said. “We are in this together. We must always look out for each other.”

From that day on, the two heads never fought again. They shared every fruit they found and lived happily in harmony.

Moral of the Story: When we are united, we are strong. Spitefulness hurts the one who holds it.

Moral of the Story: Sharing is caring; unity is life.