The Four Friends

In the heart of the beautiful Champa forest, four unlikely friends lived together. They were a Deer with soft brown eyes, a clever Crow with shiny black feathers, a tiny Mouse with twitching whiskers, and a slow, thoughtful Tortoise. Every evening, they met near a serene lake to share stories and food.

one afternoon, the Deer was grazing a bit too far from the lake. Suddenly—SNAP!—she stepped into a hunter’s trap. A heavy net fell over her, tangling her legs. She cried out, “Help! Friends!” but they were too far away. The Hunter was coming. The Deer lay still, terrified.

Back at the lake, the friends waited. “Deer is late,” said the Tortoise worriedly. “I will fly up and look,” said the Crow. He soared high into the sky. His sharp eyes scanned the forest. He saw his friend trapped in the net and the Hunter walking towards her. The Crow swooped down. “Don’t worry, Deer! We are coming!” He flew back to the lake as fast as his wings could carry him. “Deer is trapped!” he cawed. “The Hunter is coming!”

“I can cut the net,” said the Mouse, “but it is too far for me to run in time.” “Hop on my back,” said the Crow. “I will fly you there.” The Crow picked up the Mouse and flew like an arrow to the trap. The Mouse immediately began to chew. Nibble, nibble, cut! His sharp teeth sliced through the tough ropes. Just as the Hunter appeared in the clearing, the net fell open. “Run!” cried the Mouse. The Deer sprang up and dashed into the bushes. The Crow flew up into a tree. The Mouse hid in a hole.

The Hunter was shocked. “My trap is broken! Where is the deer?” He looked around, angry and disappointed. Then, he saw something moving slowly on the path. It was the Tortoise. The Tortoise had tried to crawl to help his friends, but he was too slow. “Well,” said the Hunter, picking up the Tortoise. “I lost the deer, but at least I have a tortoise for my soup.” He tied the Tortoise to his stick and started walking home.

The three friends watched in horror. “We cannot let him take Tortoise!” said the Deer. “I have a plan.” The Deer ran ahead of the Hunter. She lay down on the path and pretended to be dead. The Crow sat on her head and pretended to peck at her eyes (but was actually just gently tapping). The Hunter saw the “dead” deer. “Luck is with me!” he thought. “The deer must have fainted from its wounds!” He dropped the stick with the Tortoise and ran towards the Deer.

As soon as the Hunter was close enough, the Crow cawed, “Now!” The Deer jumped up and ran away faster than the wind. The Crow flew into the sky. While the Hunter was chasing the Deer, the Mouse had run to the Tortoise and chewed through the ropes. Snap! The Tortoise pulled his head into his shell and rolled into the lake. Splash!

The Hunter came back, panting and tired. The Deer was gone. And now… he looked at the stick. The Tortoise was gone too! “This forest is haunted!” cried the terrified Hunter. He ran away and never came back. The four friends met by the lake, safe and sound, proving that unity is the greatest strength of all.

Moral of the Story: Unity is strength. True friends never leave each other behind.