I have heard that once a crow and a cat lived together as brothers. While they were together under a tree, suddenly they saw a panther coming towards them, and before they knew it, it was close at hand. The crow flew up to the top of the tree, but the cat stayed where it was, not knowing what to do. He called to the crow: ‘My friend, is there anything you can do to save me? I hope you can.’ The crow replied: ‘In cases of need, when disaster strikes, it is one’s brother who must be asked to find a way out. How well has the poet expressed it:
The true friend is one who goes with you,
And who hurts himself in order to help you.
When you are shattered by the blows of fate,
It is your friend who breaks himself in order to restore you.’
And who hurts himself in order to help you.
When you are shattered by the blows of fate,
It is your friend who breaks himself in order to restore you.’
Near the tree were some herdsmen with dogs. The crow went and struck at the surface of the earth with his wing, cawing and screeching. He then went up to the men and struck one of the dogs in the face with his wing. Then he rose a little into the air and the dogs followed after him. Looking up, a herdsman saw a bird flying close to the ground and then falling to earth. He followed the crow, who only flew far enough ahead to avoid the dogs while still encouraging them to give chase. He then rose slightly higher, still pursued by the dogs, until he came to the tree beneath which was the panther. When the dogs saw it, they leapt at it and it turned in flight, giving up all thoughts of eating the cat. So the cat escaped because of the stratagem of its friend, the crow.
