A Love So Trusting...

I live in a lively street where humans and creatures of various species cohabit peacefully. I place earthen pots outside my house during summers,in which I would keep food and water for the animals and birds. Among the regular visitors, is a handsome black crow whom I call Aatma Ram. I have great admiration for this bird with dark, shiny feathers and an intelligent look in his eyes. He would be perched on a nearby pole and would swoop down as soon as he saw me coming out of my house. He knows that I would bring some treat for him at a particular time. And he would create a scene cawing loudly in a rowdy tone if I got his breakfast late. Aatma Ram and I shared a beautiful relationship based on mutual love and respect. He would come very near to me though I never tried to touch him. He loved and trusted me, of that I have no doubt. And an incident proved how much. One day I noticed that the pot had become very dirty. So I got a scrubber and a spoonful of detergent to wash it with. No sooner had I thrown the detergent into his bowl, he came gliding from his pole and took a big mouthful ! I was shocked! Poor Aatma trusted me so much that he did not even check what I had put into the bowl before taking a bite! Now he was making faces and looking at me accusingly. Overcome by guilt, I retrieved some bread crumbs for him. He gobbled it up, but only after ensuring that it was edible. I realized that day, that animals are far more sincere in their emotions than we, humans are. We have to be very careful while dealing with innocent animals because they will love and trust us unconditionally. We have to ensure that we are deserving of their pure loyalty.