A deer, a tortoise, and a woodpecker lived as three close friends in a forest near a lake.
A hunter spotted the deer's footprints near the lake and laid a strong leather trap to capture it.
The deer went to drink water late at night and got trapped in the hunter's leather snare.
The woodpecker advised the tortoise to gnaw through the leather trap to set the deer free.
To delay the hunter, the brave woodpecker flew to his house and repeatedly pecked at his head.
The startled hunter stayed inside his house for a while before coming out with a sharp knife.
The woodpecker quickly flew back to warn her friends that the angry hunter was approaching them.
The deer escaped into the forest, but the exhausted tortoise was captured and put into a bag.
The hunter tied the bag containing the tortoise to a nearby tree and chased the deer.
The clever deer lured the hunter deep into the forest until the hunter lost his way.
The deer rushed back to the lake and tore open the bag with his sharp horns.
After the rescue, the tortoise hid in the water, the woodpecker in her nest, and the deer in the woods.
The frustrated hunter could not catch any animal and decided never to return to that forest again.
This inspiring tale of mutual help and loyalty among friends is adapted from the Jataka stories.
The story teaches that true friends support, protect, and risk their lives for each other in danger.