Long ago, in a quiet forest, there lived a crow named Laghupatanaka. He often felt lonely and wished for a true friend.
One morning, he saw a rat darting into a hole. The crow called gently,
“Little one, don’t be afraid. I want to be your friend, not your enemy.”
The rat, Hiranyaka, peeped out carefully. “A crow and a rat? That sounds impossible! How can we ever be friends?”
The crow smiled. “Friendship is not about size or shape. It is about trust. Will you give me a chance?”
Hiranyaka thought for a moment and then nodded. From that day, the crow and the rat became companions. They shared food and stories and soon felt like brothers.
Not long after, a graceful deer named Chitranga came to drink water nearby. He overheard them laughing and said shyly,
“You both seem so happy together. May I join your friendship?”
“Of course!” said the crow, flapping his wings. “The more, the merrier.”
Later, a slow but wise turtle named Mandharaka crawled up to them. “I may be slow,” he said softly, “but I too long for friends.”
The crow cawed happily, “Then we shall be four friends!” And so they were.
Days passed in joy until one afternoon, disaster struck. The deer, Chitranga, was caught in a hunter’s net. He cried out, “Help me, my friends!”
The crow flew above and saw the trap. He rushed to Hiranyaka and said, “Quick, use your teeth to cut the ropes!” The rat scurried and chewed at the knots. Soon, the deer was free.
But the hunter returned and saw Mandharaka, the turtle, moving slowly. He picked him up. The four friends panicked, but the crow quickly made a plan.
“Chitranga, lie on the ground as if dead,” he whispered. The deer obeyed. When the hunter saw the ‘dead’ deer, he dropped the turtle to grab him instead. At once, the crow gave a loud caw, Hiranyaka cut the turtle’s bindings, and Chitranga leapt up alive!
The hunter stood shocked as all four friends escaped into the forest.
From then on, they stayed together, always helping one another.
Moral: True friendship and teamwork can overcome every danger.