ONCE upon a time in the dense forests of India there lived a peacock and a tortoise, they became good friends. The peacock lived on a tree by the banks of the stream in which the tortoise made his home; and many a day did the friends spend happily in discussing about their worlds, their happiness knew no bounds.

During dusk the peacock used to dance and entertain his friend the tortoise and the tortoise used to bring up juicy morsels for his friend the peacock.

One day, a bird-catcher who was on the prowl saw the peacock dancing and set a trap for it and caught him, as he was about taking him away him away. The unhappy bird begged of his captor to allow him to bid his friend the tortoise good-bye, since it would be the last time he would be able to see him.

The bird-catcher took pity and respecting the friendship shared by these 2 allowed him his prayer and took him to the tortoise; he was greatly moved to see his friend a captive. The tortoise asked the bird-catcher to let the peacock go; but he laughed at the request, saying that if he is going to do that he would lose his livelihood for the day. The tortoise then said, “If I make you a handsome present, will you let my friend go?” Pondering over the suggestion for a moment “certainly,” answered the bird-catcher; all I want is a live hood to support myself and my family.

Whereupon the tortoise dived into the water and in a few minutes came up with a big handsome oyster in which there was a pearl of astonishing size, color and beauty, which, to the great astonishment of the bird-catcher, he gifted it to him the price of freedom for his beloved friend. This was beyond his expectations of the bird-catcher, and good to his promise he let the peacock go immediately.

Thus passed a few happy days for the gentle kindhearted friends, one day the tortoise told the peacock to set up his home on the other side of the stream as a he feared the bird-catcher might return.

A short time after, the avaricious man did come back and told the tortoise that he thought he had not paid enough for the release of his good friend, and threatened that, unless a match to the earlier pearl was obtained for him, he would catch the peacock once more. At this tortoise was greatly enraged at the greed of this man. “Well,” said the tortoise, “if you insist on having another pearl like it, then so be it please give it to me and I will fish out an exact match for it.”

The greed of the bird-catcher prevented his reasoning that “a bird in hand was better than two in the bush” and he gave the pearl to the wily tortoise at once. The clever tortoise swam out with it saying, “I am no fool to take one and give two!” and forthwith disappeared to join his friend on the other shore never to appear ever again, leaving the bird-catcher to be sorry ever after for his covetousness.

Image by dingler1109 via Flickr