Chitraangudu
 

One day the crow, the tortoise and the rat were sitting chit-chatting. At that time, a deer came running to the place where they were sitting. A hunter who wanted to kill it ran behind it but as he could not catch up with it, left it and went away. Our three friends were worried on seeing the deer and the hunter. But when the hunter went back, they felt relieved. They engaged the deer in conversation and asked the deer what his story was.   

“My name is Chitraangudu. I came away running, afraid of the hunter. If you take me as your companion, I will stay with you in this forest,” said the deer. 

“Chitraanga! We guess that you are a good person on seeing you. Be our companion happily. Stay in this forest without any fear. Let us all live together,” said Mandharudu. From then on the three friends became four in number.

One day Chitraangudu went out grazing but did not return at his usual hour. Mandharudu was a little worried. “Why did not Chitraangudu return yet? Did he get involved in any accident? Even if I feel like going into the forest in search of him I am only a tortoise. I can’t move fast and go round places. If I want to send you, I will be worried no end till you return. What is to be done now?” said he.       

“I am a crow. I’ll fly around in the forest and return within minutes”, said the crow and flew off. He saw Chitraanga caught in a net in a corner of the forest. He flew back and carried Hiranyakudu on his back to the place where Chitraanga was. The rat quickly bit the strings of the net and released the deer.

As they were returning, Chitraangudu said, “no one can escape fate but have to suffer. Perhaps, it is because of the sins I committed in my previous birth that I am not able to avoid these difficulties now. When I was only six months old I got caught in a hunter’s net. The other deer of our flock ran away. I don’t know why the hunter took pity on me. He carried me on his shoulders and gave me as a gift to the Prince of that kingdom. The Prince liked me very much. He took care of me with great affection. So I used to go round the city moving freely, eating and playing. One day when I was lying in the verandah adjacent to the bed of the Prince, it rained heavily. I do not know why I remembered the group of our flock then. ‘When will I get the good fortune of joining the other deer of our flock and lead a happy life with them!’ I thought and spoke it aloud. The Prince was surprised on hearing me talking in human language. He immediately called the state astrologer and asked him whether it was an evil omen if animals spoke in the language of men. The astrologer told the Prince that if the animals spoke in human tongue it certainly forebode evil to the kingdom. So homas and japas have to be performed to bring about peace.” So I was immediately taken away to the forest and left there. It was then that the hunter saw me and followed me and I came to you. Today I again got caught in this danger. No one knows what happens when and how and what is ordained by fate.”

As Chitraanga was narrating his past experiences, the three of them were walking slowly. As it was getting late, Mandharudu at home was getting anxious and more worried. He could not wait any longer. So he too started out searching for them. When he saw them midway, his spirits got boosted. “Thank god ! So you three are safe. As you did not turn up for a long time I was afraid that you might have got involved in some accident. So I myself started in search of you.” he said. 

But Hiranyakudu did not like Mandharudu’s anxiety. “Why should you feel so worried? We will come home a little later or sooner. Why should you risk your life and start out? As there is a lake where we live you can get into the water if a problem arose and escape danger. This forest path has a rising gradient. You can’t walk fast and escape. You should not have come out like this,” he said.

In the meanwhile, Laghupatanakudu who was flying above following them shouted, “look there! You are walking slowly talking among yourselves as in a wedding  procession. The hunter has come behind us, the man who spread his net earlier. If you don’t run and escape, you will lose your lives. Run”.

On hearing the warning from the crow, the deer ran away. The rat also rushed into a nearby hole. What could the tortoise do? He could not run and got caught by the hunter. He was happy that at least he could get the tortoise. He carried it on his shoulder and walked away.

The other three did not know how to save the tortoise and walked behind the hunter slowly. Hiranyakudu was a thoughtful and an intelligent person. “What is the use of feeling sorry? Before the hunter goes out of the forest, Mandharudu has to be saved. Or else our friend will be lost,” said Hiranyakudu.

“When we were feeling happy that we could escape from one danger, we have to face this second one. Our brains are not working at all. You should think of some plan to help Mandharudu,” said Chitraangudu and Laghupatanakudu.

“Then listen to me.  Chitraangudu should go unseen by the hunter to the tank bund, lie there with stretched limbs as if dead. Laghupatanakudu should sit on his head and pretend as though he is pecking at the eyes of Chitraangudu. The hunter will think that the deer was dead and would leave the tortoise on the ground. Immediately, I will free the tortoise by biting the strings of the net. The tortoise would quickly get into the waters of the lake. I will rush into a hole nearby. Chitraangudu will rise quickly and runaway. Laghupatanakudu will fly away,” explained Hiranyakudu.

The friends implemented the plan correct to every detail as instructed by Hiranyakudu.

The hunter was left with nothing except disappointment!

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