THE FOUR FRIENDS
Three great friends, a tortoise, a weasel and a crow, were talking together one fine day when they were disturbed by the noise of an animal who was coming their way in great haste. They soon saw that it was a goat, who was evidently being pursued, so, as a matter of safety, each of them sought a place of refuge.
The goat stopped quite suddenly by the side of a pool, near which the three friends had been conversing together, but he seemed to be afraid to drink. The crow, who had flown to the upper branches of a high tree, saw that the man who had been hunting the goat had given up the chase, so he called to the tortoise, whose haven was the pool, that it was quite safe now for him to come out.
The tortoise at once came to the surface, and seeing the goat standing there, evidently thirsty, but trembling and afraid to drink, spoke kindly to him, assuring him that there was no danger.
Then the goat drank, and the tortoise asked him why he was so distressed. The goat replied that he had reason to be, for he had barely escaped death at the hands of a hunter.
“Well,” said the tortoise, “you are quite safe now. There are three of us here, a weasel, a crow, and myself, who are great friends. How would you like to join our company? It is our practice to stand by one another in all things, and to make our lives as pleasant as possible.”
By this time the weasel and the crow had joined them and they seconded the invitation, so the goat accepted, and each of them swore to be a true friend to the others.
For a long time they lived pleasantly together; but one day the goat failed to be at their meeting-place, and this caused them great anxiety. They waited for some time, but as their friend didn’t appear, they decided to search for him, fearing that he was in trouble. So the crow flew up into the air, and looking round about saw the poor goat striving to release himself from the meshes of a hunter’s net.
He at once reported his discovery to his friends, and their sorrow upon receiving the news of the goat’s capture was great. It was their duty now to see what could be done to help their comrade, and at length they hit upon a plan to rescue him.