The One legged Crow

Today morning, after many, many days, I have been hearing the crows calling out to each other. How I wish I could understand them. Their calls have different notes and tones. It is as if they are asking questions and getting answers.
Crows are an important part of Hindu life. As a part of the death anniversary rituals, whatever is cooked that day is kept outside for the crows to eat. It is believed that the crows represent our ancestors.

One of my favourite childhood memories is that of my grandfather putting cooked rice on the window sill for the crows and other birds. They would come flying from all sides for their share. :thumbsup

Continuing the tradition,we also put chapati bread or dosa pieces for the birds every morning. But their favourite is the chapati

The crows had not been coming for quite some . It happens every year, they come every day then they just vanish. It is being said that number is decreasing. That would be bad.

But they are back.
I think they are very family minded because whoever comes first calls out to all the crows before picking the pieces.

I remember last year there had been a one legged crow. We were not sure if that crow was a male or a female. But that one legged crow must have been a female because she was so active in spite of having only one leg. She had not given up.She would be waiting on the roof of the shed and would swoop down as soon as my husband spread the chapati pieces on the ground. She would call out to the others but would take as many pieces as she could carry in her beak and fly to the roof of the shed and fill her stomach in peace.

We have not seen her this year. I wonder if she is still alive, how did she lose her leg and how did she recover from her loss?

It would have been nice to know.

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