While they were under the net in that way, the Parrot Chief says to the other Parrots, “How has another tree grown up under this tree that we live in?” thus the Parrot Chief asked the other Parrots. “At a time when I was not here did ye give a resting-place to any one else?”
Then the Parrots say, “One day when it was raining at night, a Crow having come and stayed here, went away,” they said.
Then the Parrot Chief says, “I told you that very thing, ‘Don’t give a resting-place to any one whatsoever.’ Now we all have become appointed to death. To-morrow morning the Kinnarās having come and broken our wings, seizing us all will go away.”
When a little time had gone, the Parrot Chief [again] spoke to the Parrots, and said, “I will tell you a trick. Should you act in that way the whole of us can escape,” the Parrot Chief said. “When the Kinnarās come near the tree, all of you, tightly shutting your eyes and mouths, be as though dead, without even flapping your wings. Then the Kinnarās, thinking we are dead, having freed us one by one from the net, when they are throwing us down on the ground, and have taken and placed all there, fly away after they have thrown down the last one on the ground,” he said.
“That is good,” they said.
While they were there, a Kinnarā, tying a large bag at his waist, having come to the bottom of the tree, says, “Every day [before], I couldn’t [catch] ye. To-day ye are caught in my net.”
Having ascended the tree, as he was going [along it] the Kinnarā says, “What is this, Bola? Are these dead without any uncanny sound?” Having climbed onto the tree, after he looked [he saw that] a part having hung neck downwards, a part on the branches, a part in the net, they were as though dead.
Then the Kinnarā saying, “Aḍā! Tell ye the Gods! Yesterday having climbed the tree I had no trouble in spreading the net; to-day having come to the tree I have no trouble in releasing the net. Aḍā! May the Gods be witnesses of the event that has occurred! What am I to do with these dead bodies!” and freeing and freeing each one from the net, threw it down on the ground.
As he threw them to the ground he said “One” at the first one that he threw to the ground, and having taken the account [of them], after all had fallen, at the time when the Kinnarā, freeing the net, was coming descending from the tree, the whole flock of Parrots went flying away.
Village Vaeddā of Bintaenna.