As The Crow Flies
Once upon a time, in the Emerald Kingdom lived a majestic King named Leopold. His reign was characterized by prosperity, peace, and fairness. His subjects revered him as wise and just, and his kingdom was reputed as an epitome of magnificence and harmony in all the known realms.
Apparently, the feature of this harmonious existence was a bond, a pact made between the humans and the crows of the Emerald Kingdom. This contract maintained a balance, allowing the peace to prevail between the two species, who otherwise, by the course of nature, are destined to dispute.
Legend had it that the King’s ancestors had led their army to a major crossroad about to happen upon a losing battle. When out of nowhere, a flock of crows, in thousands swooped down, decreasing the visibility and creating great silhouettes against the sky. The confusion allowed the King's army to regroup and eventually, they won the crucial battle. The King, forever indebted to the birds, ensured they are revered and protected in the Kingdom since that fateful day.
One fine morning, a peasant came rushing to King Leopold complaining about a group of mischievous crows causing havoc in his farmland. Upon hearing this, the King desired a fair inquiry into the matter. Without wasting time, he dispatched his prime advisor, Knight Marshall, a man known to possess wisdom and courage.
Knight Marshall investigated the matter diligently but found no evidence of crows causing any havoc. As he was about to leave the village, tired after a fruitless search, a little girl called Lily drew his attention towards an interesting fact.
Lily held a gleaming emerald in her small hands, found in her backyard. Marshall, instantly recognizing it as the ‘Heart of Emerald Kingdom’, the crown jewel known for its magical capabilities, he was shocked. He remembered the whispers about the jewel being lost from the King’s treasury a few months ago with no trace left behind.
Racing back to the palace with the jewel, Marshall reported the newfound insights to the King, who ordered immediate action. King Leopold, along with Marshall and a group of brave soldiers, ventured into the forest where the crow flock resided.
As they ventured deeper, they found a cave, laden with not only their kingdom’s lost jewels but precious belongings from neighboring kingdoms as well. A realization dawned upon them that the crows were innocently picking these shiny trinkets out of sheer fascination, unknowingly causing disturbance in the peace harmony of kingdoms.
With great patience and tact, King Leopold requested the head crow to have all such shiny objects returned to the respective kingdoms. He suggested they instead show their fascination for shiny pebbles, which are harmless but just as shiny nonetheless.
The head crow, realizing the grave situations their innocent acts were causing, agreed to the King’s proposal. He promised to return what was wrongfully taken and also ensure the flock sticks to pebbles henceforth.
The Emerald Kingdom was back to being harmonious, not just the peace between humans and crows, but reinstated peace within itself and with neighboring kingdoms. King Leopold, a true epitome of wisdom and justice, once again proved that a peaceful resolution can always be reached with patience and understanding.
The crows kept up with their end of the deal, filling their nests with shimmering pebbles that made the trees in The Emerald Kingdom look like they were studded with stars. And from that day, the bond between man and crow built upon respect and understanding remained unshakeable in the kingdom, and the peace reigned.
Every time a crow cawed, they were reminded of the wisdom in peaceful coexistence, and every time the trees glimmered in the sun, they were reminded of innocence and beauty even in unintended consequences.