FRIENDS

A big old tamarind tree stood at the outskirts of a village. Its branches were so thick that nobody could climb it. This tree was the house of many small and beautiful birds. Many birds like parrot, pigeon, cuckoo, magpie, golden bird lived on this tree. All the birds were good friends. They always played together, sang together, and made sweet music.

   

      One fine sunny morning all these birds were playing and singing. Suddenly, a woodpecker came and sat on a nearby tree and watched the birds play and dance together. Those birds hardly noticed him. After a few minutes, he went to them and requested, “ Friends, I am alone in this world. I have no home. Can you give me shelter? Can I also be your friend?”

       All birds stopped their game and gathered near the woodpecker. The crow said in his rough voice, “ get lost….we don’t have any place for dirty and ugly fellows.”

       “We don’t need your friendship”, Hari parrot shouted. Ultimately the woodpecker went away from there. He was really upset with their rude behavior.

         Next morning all the birds went in search of their food. At the same time, a wicked hunter came there. He carefully observed the huge tree and thought, “ Wow!! I think many birds must be living here. This tree can surely bring me some profit.”

         He thought for a few minutes and then threw his net on the whole tree and hid in the nearby bushes.

          In the evening, all the birds returned to their homes. As they started sitting on the branches, they all got trapped in the net. The wicked hunter was very happy. He folded his net and went away. At home, he shifted the poor birds in a wooden box and said, “Sweet friends, sleep here till morning. And then I will sell all of you to your new masters.” And after locking the box, he went to sleep.

        All birds started crying and weeping. Hari parrot tried to console them. But none of them listened. At last, he shouted, “Don’t weep friends. Lets try to face this problem with courage.” All the birds nodded. They started discussing the ways through which they could escape.

       Suddenly, they heard a knocking sound on the wooden box. They stopped murmuring and listened. The sound grew louder and louder. Hari parrot asked, “who is there?”

        But there was no reply. And the knocking continued. They got scared.

         Suddenly they saw a very big hole in the wall of the box. And a face appeared there. It was the face of the poor woodpecker. He whispered “Don’t be afraid…I am your friend. I have come to save your lives. I have made a hole in the wall of this box. Now you can come out one by one.”

         All the birds came out safely. They started going out through the open window. The woodpecker said to them, “ ok friends…bye bye.”

        Hari parrot told him,” why bye???? you will also come with us. We were wrong. You saved our lives. Now you will live with us because you are our dear friend.”

        And all the birds flew with the woodpecker as the open sky was inviting them to fly with their new friend.

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Hemant kumar