A CLEVER CROW

In the forest of Pandua, once there lived a very naughty monkey. He never obeyed his parents. He was used to make mischievous acts, and fell into troubles many a time. All the time, somebody saved his life. The monkey had a friend. It was a crow. The crow liked the monkey, and its temperament. One day, as usual, the monkey went to the river bank. Drinking some water from the river, he climbed up a tree, and rested for a while on a branch. A hunter was seeing all these. He went to a wall in the vicinity of the monkey, and dug a hole on it. The monkey was listening to the hunter. He saw the hunter putting something into the hole, and leaving the place. Thinking that it was something edible, the monkey went to the wall. It was unaware of the fact that it was a monkey trap. It is the nature of the monkeys that they will not open their fist if they get something. The monkey put his arm into the pit, and got the article which was inside. When he pulled his hand back, he knew that it would not come out. The monkey could not understand what happened. In all the way possible, he tried to separate his hand from the pit. But, no act was effective. He cried and cried aloud. Hearing the monkey’s cry, his parents reached the spot. Some other monkeys also accompanied them. They all together tried to free the hand. The parents were sure that it was the act of a hunter, and at any time, he would come and their child would be caught. They too cried together thinking of their son’s tragic end. About this time, the crow was returning from its usual journey to the town. He heard the cry of the monkeys’ and hovered around that place. He saw his friend trapped into a pit. He flew down to them, and sensed what happened. All the monkeys saw the hunter approaching not far from them. The crow said to his friend. “My dear friend! Don’t worry. Let’s free your hand very easily. But, one thing. You must obey as I say. It is for your benefit I say. Because, the hunter is about to reach here.” The monkey agreed. The crow said, “Open your fist and leave whatever you got in your palm.” The monkey did so. The crow continued, “Now, pull your hand back slowly.” The monkey did it too. Now, it could free its hand away from the pit. Before the hunter reached the spot where his trap had been, all the monkeys had escaped.