THE DEER AND ITS FRIENDS.
Once in a certain country, there was a great drought. The rivers and tanks dried up. But at a single rock hole, water bubbled up and a deer came to drink water each day.
One hot day, as the deer headed to the rock, he met a crow. Crow said, Ane friend!, I am so thirsty and you look so well, can you help me?”
“What can I do for you,” asked Deer.
“You will accrue much merit if only you show me the place where you drink water.”
“Come along said Deer,” and he showed Crow the path to the rock hole.
The next day as Deer and Crow were walking along, they met a woodpecker. He said, “Ane friends! I am so thirsty and you look so fresh, where do you drink water? You will accrue much merit if you would share with me.”
“Come along,” said Deer and Crow, and together they went to the water hole.
When Deer, Crow and Woodpecker were gong along, they met a turtle. Turtle asked, “Friends where do you drink water? I am dying of thirst. You will accrue much merit, if you will share with me.” Then the friends showed Turtle also the path to the water hole
.
When Deer, Crow, Woodpecker and Turtle were going along, they met a jackal. The jackal was hungry and thirsty. He thought the friends looked tasty, but first he said, “Friends, you look so happy, where are you going?”
The four friends said, “We are going to drink water.”
The jackal licked his chops, hoping for a cool drink and a big meal. He said “Ane! you will accrue much merit, show me also the place where you drink water.”
The four friends having showed the path to the jackal he also went to the rock hole. While they were drinking water, a veddha man gone hunting saw the water hole. He saw the deer drinking water, and decided he must catch it. He set up a snare to catch the deer.
The next day when Deer went to the water hole to drink water, he got caught in the deer-hide noose trap. When the other animals came to drink water, they saw Deer caught in the noose.
“Ane Friends!” Deer called, “Please help me.”
“Don’t worry,” said Turtle, “as you helped us, we will help you.” And he began to chew the deer-hide snare.
“Jackal!” called Crow, “You could quickly bite this snare, you must help Deer.”
But Jackal decided he would wait until the friends had given up and he would eat Deer up. So he shivered and whined and said slyly, “Ane Friends! I cannot bite the snare
because me teeth are shaking about,” and he went and lay down at the edge of the jungle and licked his chops.
Turtle then bit and bit the cord as much as he could, but the hide was tough. Finally it became dark, and the friends knew that the veddha man would come the next day and find Deer in his trap.
“Do not be afraid,” Turtle said to Deer, “We will not leave you, just as you saved us, we will save you.”
At dawn Crow turned to Woodpecker, “You know the veddha folk are afraid of your drumming, go and make an evil omen, when the veddha is preparing to come.” So Woodpecker flew away to find the man.
Veddha now called his wife and said, “Cook a packet of rice and give it to me. I have set a noose. I want to go and look at it.” Just then the woodpecker cried out and the veddha man said to his wife, “There is a bad omen, wait a little time and then cook.”
After waiting for a while, the woman got up. Then also the woodpecker cried. When she took the rice to cook also the woodpecker cried. But the woman cooked the rice and gave the veddha.
The veddha took his axe and the packet of rice and set out. Then Woodpecker came flying and told the other friends, “Ane Friends! now then we cannot save him, I made evil omens as much as I could; without hearkening to them, the veddha set out towards the noose.”
Then the three friends beseeched Jackal again and told him to bite the cord. Still Jackal did not bite it, happily saying to himself, “I shall obtain the stomach.” Then without saying a word, he remained lying down.
Then the veddha came and seeing that the deer was caught, hung the packet of cooked rice on a tree, and taking the axe came near the deer. As he was coming Crow tore open the packet of cooked rice and when the veddha went over, Crow flew away. When the veddha went near Deer, Crow again tore the packet of cooked rice. Then the veddha getting angry, threw the axe to strike Crow. Crow again flew away. The axe struck Jackal, and he got badly wounded. Jackal now began howling and screaming, asking for help. Meanwhile Deer breaking the deer-hide cord bounded off and joined his friends.
The friends said to Jackal, “Good for you, you did not help your friend in need as he helped you. If you think evil, evil will come back on you. Bye!” they said, and went away happily.
(Text from FAVORITE FOLKTALES of SRI LANKA)
 | ||||||
