Exploring the value of loyalty through a story from the Buddhist tradition called The Steadfast Parrot.
AMY: Hi, I'm Amy, and this is the beautiful story of the loyal parrot. Thank you very much.
The parrot in this story had feathers that were green and yellow and blue and his eyes were bright and shiny. He was one good-looking bird. Squawk!
Now, this beautiful parrot lived in a beautiful tree, just like this one. Wow, that looks great! Thank you everyone.
PARROT: Squawk! I love you, tree. I love your leaves that give nice, cool shade. I love the way you whisper when the breezes blow.
KIDS: Whisper, whisper, whisper.
PARROT: Squawk! I love it when the tree does that. You know what? I love everything about this tree. I'm going to stick with this tree forever, no matter what. [YAWNS]
AMY: And with that, the happy parrot lay in one of the branches and had happy dreams about his leafy friend. Now, Chakra, king of the gods, was very impressed with the bird's loyalty and he decided to test the bird.
He waved his hand and made magic.
The tree had lost all its beautiful leaves and the lovely whispers changed to sad, creaking sounds.
KIDS: Creak, creak, creak.
PARROT: [YAWNS] What was that creaking noise? It woke me up! My beautiful tree! Oh no, where are all your beautiful leaves? Oh, my friend, I'm so sorry to see you like this. But, should I leave you just because you're no longer beautiful? No, I'm staying right here. In my eyes, you're just as beautiful as you always were. Squawk.
AMY: The loyal parrot stayed with his friend the tree for days and nights. Chakra, king of the gods, was impressed with the parrot's loyalty. It made Chakra smile, and Chakra's smile made magic happen.
PARROT: Squawk! Oh, my friend, you're beautiful and leafy again. I'm so happy for you. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes.
AMY: The parrot and the tree lived together for years and years and every day the tree gave cool shade and lovely whispers.
KIDS: Whisper, whisper, whisper.
AMY: And that is the story of the loyal parrot. Squawk! Thank you for helping tell the treasure story. It was an old Buddhist tale. Goodbye!
KIDS: Bye!
This story is a Buddhist tale.
Once upon a time, a parrot lived in a beautiful tree. The parrot always returned to the same tree and Shakra (King of the Gods) was impressed with the parrot’s loyalty to the tree. The King decided to put the parrot's loyalty to the test, so he removed all the leaves from the tree. The parrot was sad to see the tree without its leaves but it stayed loyal to the tree even though it was no longer beautiful. The parrot stayed with the tree day after day.
The King was now even more impressed with the loyalty of the parrot. There was a golden breeze, the King smiled, the leaves returned and the tree was beautiful once again. This can help us to reflect on the value of loyalty.
Video questions
- What colour was the parrot? (Green, yellow and blue)
- Where did the parrot live? (In a tree)
- Why did the parrot love the tree? (It loved its leaves that gave shade and the way it whispered in the wind)
- Who was Chakra? (King of the gods)
- What happened when the tree lost its leaves? (The parrot stayed with the tree)
- Why was the god Chakra impressed by the parrot? (Because the parrot was loyal and stayed with the tree)
Teacher Notes
Some versions of this story say that the tree in it was a banyan tree. Banyans were often used for shelter while listening to a storyteller. The banyan is the national tree of India. Look at photos of The Great Banyan in Kolkata - eg this one. Encourage the children to look at the photos carefully and to ask each other questions about what they see using the phrase ‘I wonder…?’
Another kind of tree that is important in Buddhism is the Bodhi Tree. Explore the Unesco World Heritage Site, Mahabodi Temple, where the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment while sitting for many weeks under the Bodhi Tree. Images on this page.
Buddha said that a tree gives shelter, food, warmth and protection. How did the tree in the story give these to the parrot? Investigate trees looking for these gifts.
Curriculum Notes
This short film will be relevant for teaching KS1 Religious Education in England and Northern Ireland, the Curriculum for Wales (particularly RVE as part of Humanities), and Early and 1st Level Religious and Moral Education in Scotland.
Further resources
