Why the Hawk Catches Chickens

A long time ago, the Hawk and the Crow were good friends. The Hawk was a swift hunter, but he had a problem: he always forgot the names of the animals he was supposed to hunt. He went to the Crow, who was known for his good memory, and asked for help. The Crow agreed. The Hawk said, "Tomorrow, I must catch a hen. Please, come with me and remind me of her name." The next day, they flew to a village. The Hawk saw a chicken scratching in the dirt. "What is that one called?" he whispered to the Crow. The Crow, however, was feeling mischievous. He replied, "That is a 'Don't-touch-it-it-belongs-to-the-King'." So the Hawk flew on. This happened several times, with the Crow giving the chickens different important-sounding names. The Hawk grew very hungry. Finally, he saw a snake slithering in the grass. "And that?" he asked the Crow. The Crow, thinking it a great joke, replied, "Ah, that is 'The-one-you-may-eat'." The Hawk swooped down and seized the snake, which immediately bit him. The Hawk, in agony from the venom, cried out, "You have tricked me!" Before he died, he cursed the Crow, saying, "From this day forward, my children will never trust you. They will not ask for your help. They will know their prey by sight, and they will hunt your friend the hen without mercy to avenge my death." That is why the Hawk always preys on chickens, and why it never asks the Crow for help.