September 3, 2007
A long, long time ago, Madagascar was covered in forest. In the forest all kinds of animals lived: lemurs, fossa, crocodiles, snakes, lizards and birds. Everyone lived happily together, except the drongo bird who wanted to be more important than all the other birds.
One day there was a big storm and a bolt of lighting caused a fire in the forest. The fire spread quickly and the animals were all very worried. God asked the birds to put out the fire so the forest and all the animals would be saved.
The birds worked very hard: the big water birds scooped up water from the lakes and rivers in their large beaks and poured the water over the fire; the big raptors beat their wings over the flames, getting very close to smother them; and the little birds helped where the could, supporting the bigger birds and putting out the little fires before they could spread.
When it was all over and the fire was out the birds all flew down and rested after their hard work. All except the drongo, who flew up to heaven. The drongo said that he had put the fire out all by himself and saved the forest and all the animals. God was so grateful to the drongo for his hard work that he gave the drongo a little crown of feathers on his head to show that he was king of all the birds.
The drongo was very happy and flew back to the forest where he bragged that now he was king over all the other birds. The other birds where very angry that the drongo had lied and tricked his way into getting the crown. And that is how the drongo got his crown, and it is also why all the birds look down at the ground instead of up towards heaven.
