pigeons

英文民间故事传说：ACrowandHisThreeFriends

Inthebranchesofagreattree,inaforestinIndia,

livedawioldcrowinaverycomfortable,well-builtnest.

Hiswifewasdead,andallhischildrenweregettingtheir

ownliving;sohehadnothingtodobuttolookafterhimlf.

Heledaveryeasyexistence,buttookagreatinterestin

,poppinghisheadover

theedgeofhishome,hesawafierce-lookingmanstalking

along,carryingastickinonehandandanetintheother.

"Thatfellowisuptosomemischief,I'llbebound,"

thoughtthecrow："Iwillkeepmyeyeonhim."Theman

stoppedunderthetree,spreadthenetontheground;and

takingabagofriceoutofhispocket,hescatteredthe

hidhimlf

behindthetrunkofthetreefromwhichthecrowwaswatching,

evidentlyintendingtostopthereandewhatwouldhappen.

Thecrowfeltprettygorethatthestrangerhaddesigns

againstbirds,andthatthestickhadsomethingtodowith

uiteright;anditwasnotlongbefore

justwhatheexpectedcametopass.

Aflockofpigeons,ledbyaspeciallyfinebirdwhohad

beenchonkingbecauofhissizeandthebeautyofhis

plumage,cameflyingrapidlyalong,andnoticedthewhite

rice,butdidnotethenet,becauitwasverymuchthe

oopedtheking,anddown

sweptalltheotherpigeons,eagertoenjoyagoodmeal

,theirjoywasshort

lived!Theywereallcaughtinthenetandbeganstruggling

toescape,beatingtheairwiththeirwingsandutteringloud

criesofdistress.

Thecrowandthemanbehindthetreekeptveryquiet,

watchingthem;themanwithhisstickreadytobeatthepoor

helplessbirdstodeath,thecrowwatchingoutofmere

rystrangeandwonderfulthingcameto

gofthepigeons,whohadhiswitsabouthim,

saidtotheimprisonedbirds：

"Takethenetupinyourbeaks,allofyouspreadout

yourwingsatonce,andflystraightupintotheairas

quicklyaspossible."

Inamomentallthepigeons,whowereaccustomedtoobey

theirleader,didastheywerebid;eachlittlebirdizeda

paratethreadofthenetinhisbeakandup,up,up,they

allflew,lookingverybeautifulwiththesunlightgleaming

ontheywereoutofsight;and

theman,whothoughthehadhituponaverycleverplan,came

forthfromhishiding-place,verymuchsurpridatwhathad

dgazingupafterhisvanishednetfora

littletime,andthenwentawaymutteringtohimlf,whilst

thewioldcrowlaughedathim.

Whenthepigeonshadflownsomedistance,andwere

beginningtogetexhausted,forthenetwasheavyandthey

werequiteunudtocarryingloads,thekingbadethemrest

awhileinaclearingoftheforest;andastheyalllayon

thegroundpantingforbreath,withthecruelnetstill

hamperingthem,hesaid：

"Whatwemustdonowistotakethishorriblenettomy

oldfriendHiranyathemou,whowill,Iamquitesure,

lives,asyouallknow,nearthetreewherethenetwas

spread,deepunderground;buttherearemanypassagesleading

tohishome,andweshalleasilyfindoneoftheopenings.

Oncethere,wewillallliftupourvoices,andcalltohim

atonce,whenhewillbesuretohearus."Sotheweary

pigeonstookuptheirburdenoncemore,andspedbackwhence

theyhadcome,greatlytothesurpriofthecrow,who

wonderedattheircomingbacktotheveryplacewhere

soonlearntthereason,

andgotsoexcitedwatchingwhatwasgoingon,thathehopped

outofhisnestandpercheduponabranchwherehecoulde

tlyagreatclamoraro,onewordbeing

repeatedagainandagain："Hiranya!Hiranya!Hiranya."

"Why,that'sthenameofthemouwholivesdownbelow

there!"thoughtthecrow."Now,whatgoodcanhedo?Iknow,

Iknow,"headded,asherememberedthesharpteethof

Hiranya."Thatkingofthepigeonsisansiblefellow.I

mustmakefriendswithhim."

Verysoon,asthepigeonslayflutteringandstruggling

outsideoneoftheentrancestoHiranya'sretreat,themou

'tevenneedtobetoldwhatwaswanted,but

atoncebegantonibblethestring,firstttingfreethe

king,andthenalltherestofthebirds."Afriendinneed

isafriendindeed,"criedtheking;"athousandthousand

thanks!"Andawayheflewupintothebeautifulfreeairof

heaven,followedbythehappypigeons,noneofthemever