In a sprawling forest, there stood a mighty tree with broad branches, home to a large flock of birds. Among them was an elderly bird, known for his wisdom and foresight. The younger birds respected him, though they often found his advice to be overly cautious.
One day, the old bird noticed a tiny creeper beginning to sprout at the base of their tree. He gathered the flock and warned, "We must pull out this creeper while it is still small. If we ignore it, it may grow thick and strong. Eventually, it could be used by someone to climb up and harm us."
The younger birds, however, dismissed the old bird’s concerns. "It’s just a small plant," they said, laughing. "What harm could it possibly do? We have nothing to worry about."
Days turned into weeks, and the creeper continued to grow. It wrapped itself around the tree, its stems becoming sturdy and thick. The old bird warned them again, "This creeper is becoming dangerous. We must get rid of it now, before it’s too late."
Panchatantra Story : The Sage Bird and the Reckless Flock
But the younger birds were busy enjoying their lives, flying around the forest, and did not heed the advice. The creeper grew stronger and reached higher, eventually winding around the entire trunk of the tree.
One day, a hunter came into the forest and spotted the birds in the tree. He noticed the creeper and thought to himself, "This will make it easy for me to catch these birds." He began climbing the creeper to reach the birds’ nests.
Seeing the hunter approaching, the birds panicked. They realized too late that the old bird's warnings had been true. "We should have listened to you," they cried, filled with regret. "Now, we are in grave danger!"
The old bird calmly responded, "It's too late to remove the creeper now. But there’s still a chance to escape. When the hunter sets his net, don’t move. Pretend to be dead. He will think you are not worth catching and will throw you to the ground. When he does, fly away quickly."
The hunter set his net, and the birds followed the old bird’s advice. Believing the birds were dead, the hunter began throwing them to the ground one by one. As soon as they were freed, they quickly flew away, safe from harm.
The birds thanked the wise old bird for saving their lives and realized the importance of listening to good advice, even if it seems unnecessary at the time. From that day on, they respected the old bird's wisdom and lived more cautiously in the forest.
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