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468
PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
think properly before you act. How grains of rice are possible in this forest. I smell some thing treacherous.'
But the young birds could not digest the advice of the aged leader. They were inclined to enjoy white pearl-like grains and they came down. They were trapped no sooner did they commence picking up the grains. They began to discuss among themselves as to what course they should adopt then. Chitragreeva said, "The hunter would arrive soon and we would be caught soon. Waste therefore, no time and jointly fly up with all your might to save our life."
Task which cannot be accomplished by an individual is gone through by many people operating jointly. Thus unity or union is solicited. In second world war when England was under apprehension of being bombarded by Germany, Prime Minister Churchill expressed that only union of states would bring them victory and no unnecessary debates. England got victory. Here pigeons also followed the advice of their old leader and with joint efforts uprooted the net-trap from the ground. They flew in the sky with the net.
The hunter was disappointed and he made off. That crow followed the pigeons to know what happened next.
Having covered some distance the leader said, "We are out of danger completely, let us come down on the bank of the river Gandaki. There is a rat named Hiranyaka our friend who will relieve us from this calamity." So all the pigeons come down on the bank of the river Gandaki.
Hiranyaka received his friend and his companions cordially and having gnawed the net-threads with its sharp teeth liberated them all. The pigeons returned home.
Observing this incident the crow Laghupatanaka thought, "This rat Hiranyaka seems to be very intelligent. I am by nature fickle minded. I do not trust in any one and mostly I am not cheated by anybody still I would like to make friends with him, as in the state of helplessness a friend comes to rescue."
He came near the hole of Hiranyaka and said, "Oh Hiranyaka, I am a crow Laghupatanaka by name and have come to contact friendship with you."
