The Golden Swan

Dadi: "Guddu beta, today I'll tell you a Jataka tale about a golden swan and the dangers of greed."

Guddu: "A golden swan? With real gold feathers?"

Dadi: "Yes! This swan had feathers that shone like pure gold. And this is how it happened. Once, the Buddha was born as a good man in Varanasi who worked hard to support his wife and three daughters. After he died, he was reborn as a beautiful golden swan."

Guddu: "But he remembered his human family?"

Dadi: "Yes, that's the unusual part! He remembered everything. One day, feeling love for his old family, he flew to his former home. He found his wife and daughters living in poverty, struggling to survive."

Guddu: "Poor family!"

Dadi: "The swan introduced himself and told them about his previous life as their father and husband. They were amazed and happy! Before leaving, he plucked one golden feather from his wing and gave it to them. "Sell this in the market," he said. "It will help you overcome your poverty.""

Guddu: "That was so kind!"

Dadi: "From then on, the golden swan visited regularly. Each time, he gave them one golden feather. Slowly, the family became comfortable. They had enough food, nice clothes, a good home."

Guddu: "The swan was taking care of them even as a bird!"

Dadi: "But here's where the story takes a dark turn, beta. The mother became greedy. She thought, "What if the swan stops coming? We'll be poor again! Better to take ALL the feathers now while we can.""

Guddu: "But that would hurt the swan!"

Dadi: "Her daughters said the same thing! "Mother, please! It will hurt him!" But the mother was adamant. "We cannot trust the swan to keep coming. I will take all the feathers next time.""

Guddu: "She planned to hurt someone who was helping her?"

Dadi: "Greed does that to people, beta. It makes them forget kindness and see only what they want. The next time the swan came to give one feather, the mother grabbed him and plucked ALL his golden feathers!"

Guddu: "That's terrible!"

Dadi: "But here's what she didn't know - the golden feathers only stayed golden when given freely. When taken by force, against the swan's will, they immediately transformed into ordinary white feathers!"

Guddu: "So she got nothing?!"

Dadi: "Nothing! Just a pile of ordinary feathers. And the poor swan, injured and unable to fly, was thrown aside. The daughters felt terrible. They nursed him back to health over many months."

Guddu: "Did his golden feathers grow back?"

Dadi: "No, beta. When his wings regrew, they were ordinary white feathers. The gold was gone forever."

Guddu: "That's so sad!"

Dadi: "Before flying away for the last time, the swan looked at the mother and said, "Your greed has spoiled everything. I was helping you out of compassion, but you wanted more. Now I have lost my golden feathers, and you have lost a friend who helped you.""

Guddu: "Did he ever come back?"

Dadi: "Never. He flew away and never returned."

Guddu: "*sadly* The mother ruined everything."

Dadi: "She lost a source of steady help because she wanted too much, too fast. This is the danger of greed, beta."

Guddu: "What's the lesson, Dadi?"

Dadi: "The Jataka says: "Excess greed brings nothing but grief." There's a fine line between need and greed. Need can be fulfilled - you need food, you eat, you're satisfied. But greed can NEVER be fulfilled - the more you get, the more you want."

Guddu: "Like the mother - she had enough but wanted more!"

Dadi: "And in trying to grab everything, she lost everything. The swan was giving freely - one feather at a time was enough to live well. But greed wanted it all at once."

Guddu: "And when you force things, you lose them?"

Dadi: "Yes! The feathers only kept their value when given with love. When grabbed by force, they became worthless. Many things in life are like that - love, respect, friendship. You can't force them. They must be given freely."

Guddu: "I'll remember this, Dadi. Be grateful for what you receive and don't grab for more."

Dadi: "And be patient. Good things come steadily to those who wait with gratitude. The family could have lived happily for years with the swan's regular gifts. But one moment of greed destroyed everything."

Guddu: "I feel sorry for the swan and the daughters."

Dadi: "The daughters learned a valuable lesson. And in a way, so did the swan - about the nature of some human hearts. Now, beta, shall we share some fruit? One piece at a time is plenty!"

Guddu: "*laughs* Yes, Dadi! I won't grab them all!"

Dadi: "*smiles* That's my wise boy."