Once a flock of doves flew far away from their home in search of food. Though they flew for miles and miles, they could not find anything to eat. Tired and hungry, they were flying over a forest.
The smallest of the doves was so tired that he said to the Dove King, “O, King, please can we rest a bit?”
“Oh, come, little one, be brave,” replied the king. “We are sure to find some food soon.”
So the little dove flapped his wings harder. He flew so fast that he found himself ahead of all the others. Soon he turned to them and said, “Come on, hurry up, I can see some
food down there.”
The doves looked down, and there they saw, some rice scattered on the ground just below a big banyan tree.
Who had scattered rice on the ground?
“Come, my friends, let us eat,” said the Dove King. Together the doves landed under the banyan tree and began to eat the rice. Suddenly, a vast net fell over them. The doves were trapped in it. “We are caught,” cried the king. “What shall we do now ?”
The next moment, they saw a big, fat hunter coming towards them. He was carrying a huge club.
“We must do something immediately before the hunter kills us said the Dove King.”
All the doves were struggling to get out of the net. “How can we save ourselves?”,
they cried.
“I have an idea”, said the king. “We must act together. We shall all fly up, carrying the net with us. Remember now, unity is our only hope.” Each dove caught the net in its beak. Then all together, they flew up. The hunter was almost upon them when suddenly he saw his net going up into the air.
He was amazed to see the unity among the doves in their effort to get away. He
ran after them, hoping that the net and all the doves would soon fall down. The
doves saw him running after them. So they flew high over hills and valleys and
went far, far away where the hunter could not follow them. At last, the hunter
grew tired and gave up the chase.
What will the doves do next?
When the Dove King saw that the hunter was no longer following them, he said, “Half our troubles are over. Now we must fly to the hill near the city of temples. There lives my faithful friend, a little mouse. He will certainly help us. He will cut the net with his teeth and set us free.”
“Yes, yes, let us go to the city of temples,” said all the doves in chorus and on they flew. Soon they reached the place where the mouse lived. When the mouse heard the loud noise made by the flapping of wings, he was frightened and hid himself at the far end of his house. But the Dove King called out to him softly and said that he had come to ask for his help. The mouse looked out. He was happy to see that it was his friend, the
Dove King, who was talking to him.
“We have been caught in a trap set by a hunter,” said the Dove King. “We cannot get out of this net. When the hunter came, we flew together taking the net with us. Now, please help us. Cut the net with your teeth and set us free.” “Very well, I shall set you free first.”
“No, no,” said the king. “Please free my followers first.”
The little mouse was wise. He understood the feelings of a king towards his subjects. So, he began to cut the rest of the net. One by one, all the doves were set free. And then, at last, the Dove King was also set free. All the doves were grateful to the little mouse for saving them. With a loud flapping of wings, they rose in the air and flew away.
Reading Comprehension
Complete the table and put the number ac- cording to the order of the events. One is done for you.
| Quotations | Order | Who said it? |
| We are caught. What shall we do now ?” | 3 | The King |
| “How can we save ourselves? | 4 | All the doves |
| No, no please free my followers first. | 7 | The king |
| Oking please can we rest a bit | 1 | smallest dove |
| “I have an idea… We shall all fly up, carrying the net with us….. | 5 | The King |
| very well. I shall serve you free first. | 6 | The mouse |
| Come on, frurry up, I can see some food down there. | 2 | Smallest dove |