Conte : The King of Birds

Considered the King of Birds, the Madagascan Drongo or “Dicrurus forked”, called "Railovy" in Malagasy, is a kind of elder-blower in the family of Dicruridae.

Several Malagasy tales give slightly different versions of its history. But they're all as fascinating as each others.

So how the Drongo became the king of birds this time ?

All at the Great Kabary

Once upon a time, all the birds of the great island made a great Kabary (a board meeting) to choose a king.

Many of them were of the opinion to take the Voromahery (The eagle). They thought it was the strongest among them, and he alone is able to make the feathers of all his enemies bristle.

Therefore, the eagle was offered the royalty. But the proud bird disdained a power that his beak and talons naturally gave him, and refused.

The goaika was then presented (Raven), papango (papangue) and hitsikitsika (Kestrel). But, after long discussions, it was impossible to agree on them.

Then, someone proposed the fody (Cardinal of Madagascar) and gave the following reasons for choosing : "It is quite different from other birds. It looks like them in winter, but in summer it becomes a beautiful bright red. Nature, by donning it in a royal cloak, seems to have chosen it at our choice. ». (Knowing that red is the color of royalty in Madagascar)

And we agreed with that opinion..

So here's the fody king of birds. His playful character, its liveliness, his address quickly made him popular among the birds. He was above all respected and loved by the sad takatra (shadow), whose view was always protected during the reign of the fody.

But the proverb says : “A tall tree is easily blown by the wind, and whoever is good has many enemies”. The fody soon experienced it.

Place at Voromahery

The Eagle, furious at having such a small bird as king, melted on him and killed him with a beak. Then he proclaimed himself king ; other birds, out of fear, dared not protest and accepted the kingship of the eagle.

But "The punishment is there ; and the action accomplished returns against its author” says the proverb.

The takatra remembered the benefits of fody, and the wickedness of the voromahery was odious to him.

A beautiful day, the new king was quite distracted. Then, the takatra approached him gently from behind and suddenly gave him strong blows of the beak. The eagle fell, the other thought he was dead and, abandoning him in the square and flew away to summon all the birds.

At the second great Kabary

When they were reunited in a second great Kabary, the takatra spoke and explained to them how and why he had killed the voromahery. Almost all approved of it and many circled around the place where the victim lay.

But, while they contemplated it, here's that the one who was thought to be dead stirred. Big stir among the assistants ; a few were about to complete it, when the hitsikitsika (Kestrel) spoke :

"I won't try to justify the voromahery. He was mean and cruel. He used to take by force everything we didn't want to give him. The takatra, who avenged on him the death of the fody, has the right to bird recognition. Yet we are, Him and me, son of two sisters. So his misfortune touches me very closely. And I ask you to grant me his life. It will be a sufficient punishment for him to lose royalty. »

The birds did not repulse the prayers of the hitsikitsika and he hastened to give care to the wounded.

That is why, you say, voromahery does not withstand hitsikitsika, although smaller than him. But he flees in front of this one, remembering that he owes her life. On the contrary, he hates the takatra that attacked him and wounded him from behind. And he doesn't miss an opportunity to hurt him.

So who will be king in the end ?

Birds once again chose a new king. This time, the "Railovy" (Drongo) was finally appointed.

“He has a beautiful voice to speak in the Kabary. In addition, it is of medium size, so much so that it's not a negligible opponent for the jealous, and on the other hand he is not tall enough to raise the feathers of others.”

And so far, its authority has continued without much difficulty.

To replace the chores that people usually do for kings, The Railovy has the right to take every year some feathers of other birds of all species to line its nest.

“ANGANO, ANGANO, arira, arira, izao mitantara, mamaky ianareo… ” –> “It's just a fairy tale, and legend, I tell and you read...”

By #CocoLodgeMajunga

Source : Taking action with Madagascar 09/40/19

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