Once upon a time, there lived a deer, a tortoise and a woodpecker. These 3 animals were good friends and they always did everything together. They were happy and nothing could stop them or their love for each other. All of them had a lot of fun together in the forest where they lived.
One fine day, a hunter set up camp in the forest. He put up his tent and laid traps around to catch animals. The deer happened to pass nearby and soon got caught in one of the traps laid by the hunter. The deer tried to escape from the trap somehow but could not find any way and so started to cry for help. The tortoise and the woodpecker heard these cries and they rushed to the spot at once.
They found their beloved friend caught in the trap but after speaking for a while, they left the deer. The tortoise went in one direction and the woodpecker went in another direction. The tortoise went to a rat and the woodpecker went to search for the hunter’s tent. After some time, the woodpecker located the tent and saw the hunter coming out. The hunter too had heard the deer crying for help and so he was on his way to the spot. Meanwhile, the tortoise took the rat to the deer and they began chewing on the net to set the deer free. The woodpecker now started to attack the hunter by flying around his head and pecking him continuously. The hunter cried out in pain and started to run around to avoid the woodpecker. Eventually, he was forced to take refuge by running back inside to his tent.
The woodpecker then went to the deer and saw that the rat and the tortoise had already cut open the net and the deer was free. They all thanked the rat for his timely help. The 3 friends then went far away from that place and lived happily ever after.
Moral - A friend in need, is a friend indeed. Good friends do not abandon their friends in times of joy or sorrow.