Rash action

The hunter and the dove

Once upon a time, there lived a cruel hunter in a forest. He frightened the birds and ter Due to his cruel nature, he had no friends The elders have said that evil and cruel animals. relatives. men are like poisonous snakes. Thus, one should stay or away from such people.

The hunter went out every morning with a stick and a net. One day, he trapped a female dove in his net. Very soon, thick black clouds appeared in the sky and it thundered and began to rain. The hunter was scared and he shivered from the cold. He desperately looked around for shelter. Just then, he saw a huge banyan tree and ran and stood under i saw rain and wind stopped suddenly. The sky cleared and stars began to shine.

'Is there anyone who can help me?' the hunter said loudly, 'I am wet and cold and need shelter and food. I am so hungry that I may collapse at any moment. Help!'

A dove who also had his nest on the same tree was anxiously waiting for his wife's return. He prayed to the gods that his wife should be safe, despite the raging storm. He thought, 'I am blessed to have a wonderful wife. She is loving and caring. Indeed, without such a wife, a house would be like a forest.'

The wife, trapped in the hunter's net, heard her husband's words. She was happy that her husband loved her so much. She thought, 'A woman is of no use if her husband is unhappy. Heaven blesses those homes which have happy husbands.

She said to her husband, 'Listen to me, my dear, even at the cost of your life, you must help a person who is seeking shelter. This hunter is cold and hungry and asks for shelter under our tree. You must help him. Do not hate him because he has trapped your beloved wife. This is my fate. Abandon your thoughts of revenge and help him however you can.'

Thus, though the dove was very sad that his wife was trapped, he told the hunter, 'Sir, you are my was traed guest. Please let me know what you need and I will do what I can. My house is yours,'

The hunter told the dove that he was extremely cold and a fire would warm him and dry him. The dove brought some dry twigs and leaves and lit a small fire. He invited the hunter to warm himself by the fire.

'I am poor and have no food for my guest,' said the dove. 'I don't even have enough to feed myself. There is no point in being a host if I cannot feed a guest. I had better leave this world!'

The dove asked the hunter to be patient and soon, he would get something to eat. Then, he jumped into the fire to become the hunter's food.

The hunter was greatly touched by this sacrifice. "This is all my doing. I am responsible for this tragedy,' the hunter said to himself. 'I will certainly go to hell. The dove was a great soul; he has shown me the right path. As penance, from now on, I will give up all wants and fast and see my slow end.

The hunter then released the female dove. He also threw away his net and stick.

The wife thought that life without her husband was worse than death. Thus, she jumped into the same fire. After her death, she saw her husband in heaven, dressed in royal robes.

'Oh, my darling, the husband said, 'you did the right thing by following me into the fire. Women like you shall live happily with their husbands forever.'

Meanwhile, the hunter went to a forest for meditation. After he freed himself from all feelings of cruelty and greed, the hunter burnt himself in a forest fire. Then, he too reached heaven.

After the second minister had narrated the hunter's story, the owl king asked the third minister for his advice on what to do with Sthirajeevi.

'My lord,' he said, 'Sthirajeevi should not be killed. He deserves to live, as he will be invaluable in gaining our enemy's secrets. This is just like the story of how a thief actually helped an old man he was trying to rob.'