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The Hunter and the Quails

Quails in a beautiful forest outsmarted a hunter by flying up together, carrying the net and escaping, ensuring their safety and unity.
Resourcefulness
Teamwork
Survival
Jataka Tales - The Hunter and the Quails
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, there was a big, beautiful forest where many quails lived happily. They flew around freely and had plenty of food to eat.

One day, a cunning hunter arrived in the forest. He saw the quails and thought, "These birds will make a tasty meal!" He set up traps with nets and soon started to catch the quails one by one.

The quails were terrified. They huddled together and decided to find a solution. The wisest quail had a brilliant idea. She said, "When the hunter throws his net, we should all fly up together. That way, we can lift the net and escape."

All the quails agreed to the plan. The next time the hunter came, he threw his net, expecting to catch many birds. But as he did, the quails flapped their wings and flew up together, carrying the net with them. The hunter watched in surprise as his net and the birds disappeared into the sky.

From that day, whenever the hunter tried to trap them, the quails would fly up together, lifting the net and escaping. The hunter was not able to catch any more quails, and soon he had to leave the forest in search of food elsewhere.

And so, the quails lived peacefully in the forest, their unity protecting them from any harm that came their way.

In a bustling forest filled with quails who knew how to party, life was grand. They would flap, chirp, and dance like nobody was watching. But what's a good dance without some drama?

Enter stage right: a hunter, sneaky and sly. He looked at the quails, rubbed his belly, and said, "Yum, yum, those birds will go perfectly with my grandma's secret sauce!"

He began setting up traps and nets, humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like "I'm a Little Teapot." But those quails weren't about to become dinner without a fight.

The quails gathered in a secret meeting, feathers all aflutter. The wisest quail, donning a pair of fake reading glasses, hopped onto a stump and declared, "Fear not, my feathered friends! I've got a plan that's so brilliant, it'll knock the socks off that hunter - if he wore socks, that is!"

She explained her idea, and they all practiced their synchronized wing-flapping, looking a bit like a Broadway musical number.

The next day, the hunter returned, licking his lips and twirling his mustache. "Here birdies, birdies! Come and get it!" he called, tossing his net.

But those quails weren't going to fall for that old trick! They flapped and soared, carrying the net with them, while the hunter's jaw dropped like he'd just seen a pig fly.

"Hey, where's my net?" he cried, looking up. "Those birds must've gone to flying school!"

The quails continued their great escape every time the hunter tried to catch them, turning the forest into their very own circus act.

After many failed attempts, the hunter threw his hands in the air. "I'm going somewhere where the food doesn't fight back!" he exclaimed, stomping away, possibly in search of some non-flighty vegetables.

As for the quails? They danced and laughed, knowing that their unity was their superpower.

And they all flapped happily ever after, showing that when you stick together, you can overcome even the sneakiest of teapot-humming hunters.

Beneath the trees where quails would play,
Where every bird sang night and day,
The forest echoed with their song,
In this safe place, they all did belong.

But one bright morn, among the trees,
A hunter came with nets to seize.
He eyed the quails, his stomach growled,
"A tasty treat!" he thought and scowled.

With nets in hand, he laid his trap,
Hoping to catch them in a snap.
The quails were scared, they flapped and cried,
Until a wise one said, with pride:

“If we all fly when the net's thrown high,
Together, as one, we'll touch the sky!
Together, strong, we'll break free,
And show that hunter, just wait and see.”

The plan was set, the quails stood by,
Waiting for the net to fly.
As it came down, they soared up high,
Leaving the hunter to wonder why.

Each time he tried, they'd rise and flee,
Together, united, wild and free.
He couldn’t trap them, no matter the scheme,
His dreams of quail stew remained a dream.

Back in the woods, quails danced with glee,
Safe and sound, as they should be.
For they had learned, in their time of need,
Together they'd always succeed.

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the quails decided to work together instead of trying to escape the net on their own?
  2. How do you think the quails felt when they realized they could escape the hunter's net by working together?
  3. Can you think of a time when you worked with others to solve a problem or accomplish something you couldn't do alone?
  4. What does this story teach us about the power of unity and teamwork?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story to our everyday lives to overcome challenges we may face?

Fable Quotes

Resourcefulness soars when unity takes flight, lifting barriers to triumph and safeguarding against adversity.
In unity, there is strength, in strength, there is survival.
Survival is not about the fittest, but about the wisest.
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