Ramayya was a simple man, who lived in a town. His house was made of tiled roots He lived with ‘made his wife. He was not rich. But took good care of his family. On the roof of his house, two sparrows built a nest. The mother-bird laid her eggs in it. The male-bird wanted to help Ramavya, as he noticed Ramayyas wife always quarrelling with him. But the female bird advised her male bird not to bother about-others. But to mind their own business.

One day, the male-bird found a diamond nosejewel in a heap. When he showed it to his wife, she replied that it was of no use to her. So she asked him to find some food for the young ones. The bird dropped the diamond stud on the floor and went out in search of food.

Ramayyas wife noticed the jewel as she was sweeping the floor. She picked it with delight and wore it. Her husband shouted at her and told her that they should go and deliver it to the magistrate. But his wife wouldn’t want to part with it.

This nose-stud belonged to their neighbour, Meenakshi Ammal’s daughter. She forgot and left it in the bathroom. Kuppayi, their servant woman would have swept it out. Meenakshi Ammal consoled her daughter. She also advised her not to inform her father Ramanatham about the lost stud. He would become very angry. But her husband Ramanatham and the whole village knew about it. The maid servant was suspected to have stolen it. The police came and searched her hut. But they could not find it.

Ramayyas wife put the stud away in her box. She soon developed a severe fever and was always in her bed. The two birds witnessed all this and thought that “we should never be greedy for what belongs to others.” Ramayya and his wife spent the rest of their lives in fear of being caught.