The Hunter and the Doves

A long time ago, in a jungle there lived a deer, a mouse and a crow. They were very good friends and used to spend most of their time with each other. One day, a turtle came to them and said, “I’m all alone in the jungle. I want to join your group and become your friend.” “You are most welcome to join our company,” the three friends said. The crow asked the turtle, “But what about your safety? You know that the jungle is full of dangers. Many hunters keep coming to the forest regularly. Suppose a hunter attacks, how will you save yourself?” The turtle replied, “That is the main reason I want to join your group.” The four of them had hardly finished talking when they noticed a hunter approaching them. Quickly, in fear for their lives, the deer ran away into the forest, the crow flew high in the sky and the mouse darted into a nearby hole. The turtle being a slow mover could not crawl away fast enough and the hunter trapped him in a net. Though the hunter was disappointed that he had not caught the deer, he felt that at least he had a turtle to eat for dinner. The deer, the mouse and the crow were very upset to see the turtle trapped and made a plan to free their new friend. The deer lay on the hunter’s path and pretended to be dead while the crow sat on the deer’s face and pretended to pick his eyes. The hunter who was walking with the turtle in a net on his shoulders saw the deer and thinking it was dead, let go of the net with the turtle and went after the deer. The crow flew to the highest branch and the deer fled as fast as he could. In the meantime, the mouse gnawed through the net and let the turtle out. When the hunter returned to the spot to pick up the net he found the turtle had escaped. Perplexed by these strange happenings the hunter became frightened and ran away from the jungle as fast as he could. The turtle thanked his three friends for saving his life. Thereafter, the four friends lived together happily.