1. The Story of A Crow, A Hunter,
Some Doves And A mouse
Kaa>va, shikaareea ,kujh g/ayran ai > kooay jee aakhaar>ee
On the banks of the river Godavari, stood a huge silk-cotton tree.
God/aavaree nad/eea jay kinaaray t/ay hiku shaahee pashama jo var>u ho.
At night, the birds from all around used to come to this tree and rest there.
Raat/ jay vakt/ pasgird/aaeea jaa pakhee hina var>a t/ay achee aaraam ka>d/aa huaa.
Once at dawn, when the moon was setting over western mountains, a crow woke up and saw a hunter coming towards the tree.
Hika d/afay piraha fhuteea jo cha>du jad*ahi> ulha>d/ay jabalan puthhiyaa> lahee rahiyo ho t/a una vakt/
hiku kaa>u ni>da maa> uthiyo ai> hika shikaareea khay var>a d*aa>h ee>d/o d*ithhaaee>.
He looked like Yama, the God of Death.
Hoo kaal d/ayvt/aa Yamaraaj vaa>gur piay lag/o.
When the crow saw him, he was frantic and thought to himself, "This looks grim. I don’t like the look of this at all."
Jad*ahi> kaa>va hunakhay d*ithho t/a hoo dij/ee viyo ai> d/il may> sochiyaaee> ‘ Heeu t/a maamlo
d*aadhho gambheer tho lag/ay.Moo>khay t/a hina jee shikil ee nathee var>ay .’
Thinking thus, he started following the hunter.
Iho sochay hina shikaareea jee puthhi vart/ee.
After some time, the hunter stopped and looked around.
Thoray vakt/a khaa> poi, shikaaree beehee rahiyo ai> chainee paasay d*isar> lag/o.
He took out some grains of rice from his bag, scattered them on the ground and then spread out his net over the grains..
Hina pahi>jee thayleeha maa> kuchhu chaa>va>ran jaa d/aar>aa kadhhiyaa, unhan khay zameena t/ay
pakhir/iyaaee> ai> mathaa> j/aara vichhaa ay chhad*iyaaee>.
When he had done this, he hid himself behind the tree.
Ayt/ro karay hoo paar> var>a jay puthhiyaa> vaj*ee likee beethho.
Just then, the king of doves with his courtiers was flying around in search of food.
Bas unhay vakt/ g/ayran jo raajaa pahi>jay saathiyun saa> gad*u khaadhay jay t/alaash may> aasmaan may>
ud*aamee rahiyo ho.
He saw the grains of rice and said to his followers, “How strange! Grains of rice in an uninhabited forest? Let’s see what
this is all about. I smell a rat!”
Hina chaa>va>ran jaa d/aar>aa d*ithhaa t/a pahi> jay saathiyun khay chayaaee>,’ Kahir/ee na ajaba jee g/aalh
aahay . Chaa>va>ran jaa d/aar>aa hina bayaabaan jha>gala may >!. D*isoo> t/a iho chhaa aahay ? Moo>khay t/a hina may>
ka>hi>jee kaa chaal thee nazar achay .’
But being greedy, the doves didn’t listen to their king and flew down to pick up the grains of rice. Whoops! In a trice, they
were all caught in the net.
Para jeea> t/a g/ayraa laalchee huaa inhay karay raajaa jee g/aalh b/udhee ar>ab/udhee karay
chaa>va>ran jaa d/aar>aa chug/ar>a laai haythhi lahee aayaa ai> hika akhichhimba may> hoo sabhu j/aara may>
fhaasee viyaa .
A terrific commotion broke out amongst the trapped doves.
J/aara a>d/ar fhaathalan g/ayran jee rar/orar/ machee vayee.
Then the king cried out, “Friends, we are in great danger. Unless we pull ourselves together immediately and think of a way
to get out, there’s no doubt that we shall all be dead. Now I propose that we all catch hold of the net at the same time and
fly upwards together.”
T/ahi>t/ay g/ayran jay raajaa chayo ,’D/ost/o , asee> sachpach vad*ee museebat/a may> achee viyaa aahiyoo>..
Jaykad*a hi> asee > paar>a khay jaldee na sambhaalee>d/aasee> ai> bhaj/ar>a jo ko upaavu na sochee>d/aasee> , t/a
ina may ko shaku naahay , t/a asee> sabhayee maut/a jay moo>ha may> achee vay>d/aasee>. Haar>ay moohi>jee salaah aahay t/a
asee> sabhayee j/aara khay pakr/ay hikaee vakt/ mathay ud*aamoo>.’
The birds agreed. They caught hold of the net and together flew away with it.
Pakhiyun ihaa g/aalh maj*ee . Hoo j/aara khay pakr/ay mathay ud*aamee viyaa.
When the hunter saw this, he was spellbound and didn’t know what to do.But he soon came to himself and began to run after them,
thinking, “These birds have managed to escape because they are united. But when they come down, I’ll have them in my power!”
Jad*ahi> shikaareea iho d*ithho , t/a hoo achraj may> paijee viyo , ai> samjha may> na aayus t/a chha
kayaa>? Par jald/ ee paar>a sa>mbhaalay unhan jay puthhiyaa> dor/ar> lag/o ai> sochiyaaee> ,’ Hee pakhee ina karay
bhaj/ee saghiyaa aahin jo hinan jee paar> may> b/adhee aahay para jad*ahi> hoo haythh laha>d/aa t/a maa> unhan t/ay
aaram saa> kaaboo paa ay sagha>d/us.’
However, the doves flew away very fast and were soon out of sight. ”
Para g/ayraa raft/aar saa> paray ud*aamiya ai> jald/ ee shikaareea jee nazar khaa> paray halee viya
They then asked their king,” What shall we do now?
” Poi pahi>jay raajaa khaa> puchhiyaaoo> , ‘ Haar>ay asee> chhaa kariyoo>?’
“I have a very dear friend,” the king said, “a mouse who lives on the banks of the river Godavari. We’ll go to him.
I know he will find a way to free us!”
‘Moohi>jo hiku piyaaro d/ost aahay,’ Raajaa javaab d*ino ,’ Hikr/o koo o jo God/aavaree nad/eea jay kinaaray
t/ay rah>d/o aahay . Asee> huna vati hala>d/aasee> . Moo>khay khaat/ree aahay t/a hoo asaa> khay aazaad/ karaair> laai ,
zaroor ko na ko rasto g/olhay kadhha>d/o.’
So, they all flew to the place where the mouse lived.
So sabhayee unhay t/araf ud*aamiyaa jit/ay koo o raha>d/o huo.
When the mouse saw the birds flying down towards him, he got frightened and ran inside his hole at the root of a tree.
Jad*ahi> koo ay hunan khay paar>a d*aa>h haythhi ud*aama>d/o d*ithho t/a hoo d*akee viyo ai> pahi>jay
var/a jay paar/a may> hika b/ir/a a>d/ar bhaj/ee viyo.
But the king of doves called out, “My friend! Don’t you recognize me? Come out and set us free.”
Para g/ayran jay Raajaa sad*u karay chayus ,” Moohi>jaa d/ost !Chhaa t/oo> moo>khay natho suj*aar>ee> .
B/aahir achu ai> asaa> sabhinee khay aazad/ kar.’
When the mouse heard this, he recognized his friend’s voice and came out quickly.
Kooay pahi>jay d/ost/a jo aawaaz suj*aat/o ai> b/aahir aayo.
The king of doves told him all that had happened and the mouse immediately started nibbling at the strings of the net and set the
birds free.
G/ayran jay Raajaa samooree ga/alh karay b/udhaayas t/a hunan saa> chhaa thee guziriyo ho ai> kooay
jald/ee j/aara khay kut/rar> shuroo karay sabhinee khay aazaad/ kayo.
The crow, which had flown along and had been watching this from a nearby tree, was full of admiration for their friendship and
said to himself, “Well, it’s true what they say, a friend in need is a friend indeed”.
Kaa/ u jayko hinan g/ayran jay puthhiyaa> ud*aam>d/o aayo ho ai> hika vayjhay var>a t/ay vayhee sabh kuchh
d*isee rahiyo ho ,t/ahi> hinan jay dost/eea jee saaraah kaee ai> pa>hi>jay a>d/ara may> sochiyaaee> ,”Baraabar ihaa sachee
g/aalh aahay t/a vakt/a t/ay kam ee>d/ar ee, sacho d/ost/ hoo>d/o aahay.”
End
