“Never mind， but if you wish to know I will tell you。I smiled at your stupidity。Do you know what those crows were saying in their language when they croaked and screeched？ They were blessing you。They were saying，‘May God grant health to these people！ May they grow in numbers and in strength to till the ground， to sow the seed， to reap a rich harvest， so as to leave something for us to pick up and to live by。’And do you know what that accursed cuckoo was saying when he was calling？‘May illness come， may death mow down these people， so that the field remain untilled and the places deserted for me to disport myself freely and to enjoy life without fear of being hunted by these people。’
“And you， my foolish people， because you did not like the croaking and were pleased to hear the sweet calling， cast stones at those who blessed you， and found delight in those who cursed you。But you are like other people， easily deceived by the sight of their eyes and the hearing of their ears。Now you know why I smiled。”
center烏鴉和布穀鳥
有一個人，天生就懂得人類的語言和各種飛禽走獸的語言。看到人們吵架，爭鬥，誤解，很是厭煩。
他很富有，擁有很多田地，還雇了許多人來幹活。
早春的一天，他雇了一幫勞力來到田地裏，其中有年老的，也有年輕的，他們快樂地從日出工作到中午。到了中午，他們卸下牛軛，放下工具，在一邊休息，等著午飯送來。
午飯送來了，是玉米粥、幹酪和麵包。
人們一下子擁上去，取一份自己的食物，有說有笑地吃著午餐。
飯後，年長的人呆在籬笆邊的一棵大樹下休息，而那些年輕的小夥子都在田地另一頭玩鬧著。
田裏滿地都是大家吃飯時掉下的麵包屑和碎幹酪，很多烏鴉都降落到田頭覓食，一邊吃一邊還嘎嘎叫著。
當烏鴉們吃食時，有一隻布穀鳥站在籬笆邊悅耳地鳴叫著。
人們看到烏鴉在吃食就拿起手邊的小石頭、泥塊向它們丟去，人們倒是非常欣賞布穀鳥的鳴叫。
主人正在田邊，看見這情景，嘴撇著，微笑了一下，露出一種嘲弄的神情。一個年長的幫工問他：“主人，你笑什麼？”
“笑你們都是傻子。”主人說。
“我說的話你們別當回事，如果你們想知道我為什麼而笑的話，我就告訴你們吧。我是在笑你們的愚笨啊！你們知道那些烏鴉嘎嘎叫著，說些什麼嗎？它們在祝福你們，它們說，萬能的主啊，讓這裏的人們都身體健康，萬事如意，年年大豐收，這樣我們也能沾光，吃上好的奶酪和麵包屑了。你們又曉得那該死的布穀鳥在叫什麼嗎？它在叫，讓這裏充滿貧困、疾病，讓這裏永遠荒蕪，這樣我就可以在這裏自由飛翔，不用害怕人類的獵殺了。”
主人又說：“你們剛才不是用石塊去砸祝福你們的烏鴉，不喜歡烏鴉的叫聲，而喜歡聽詛咒你們的布穀鳥的叫聲嗎？唉，人們都有通病，往往容易被表麵現象所迷惑！現在你們知道為什麼我要笑了吧！”