Pijju Pigeon along with his wife Pijji was noticing a pair of swans coming to the river daily. They really liked the white colour of the swans.
One day Pijju went to the pair of swans and said, “Brother Swan, will you be our friend? We like your white colour very much.”
The swan turned towards him and smiled, “Even your colour is white.”
From that day onwards both pairs became friends. Whenever they would meet at the banks of Champa River, they would communicate a lot.
Pijju would question Mikku Swan a lot and Mikku would answer him patiently.
One day Pijju asked, “What attributes should a good friend have?”
Mikku said, “Helping each other in times of need. Trusting each other. Suggesting the right thing and the other should follow it. These are the signs of true friendship.”
Pijju’s next question was, “How can one know about the traits of a friend?”
“First get to know each other, then test your friend. Such friendship never breaks up.
“I want to say something. I don’t like one thing about you.”
Pijju was startled, “What’s that?”
“Why are you so timid? Mausi takes advantage of your cowardice. As soon as you see her, you close your eyes thinking that closing your eyes won’t let her see too. A coward dies before dying.”
Pijju asked, “What should I do?”
“Fight her. Destiny too favours the brave.”
“How?”
“Use your brain.”
Pijju started thinking, ‘Mikku is right. Why should I accept defeat before fighting?’
Pijju had made a nest in the verandah of Shelly’s house.
Pijji laid 2 eggs in it. Pijju and Pijji would dirty the verandah quite a lot.
Shelly got angry at that. She broke the nest and threw it on the road. Pijji began crying seeing the eggs on the road.
Pijju saw a man coming on a cycle. The eggs were about to come under his tyres when Pijju flew and sat on his handle. The cycle turned in other direction in a flurry and the eggs were saved.
Pijju saw a small pit nearby. He put the eggs with his beak in the pit and covered them with dry grass.
The eggs hatched after 2 days and the chicks came out. The danger had been averted.
When Mikku heard, he told Pijju, “You have made me proud. I am very happy.”
After a few days Pijji was happily eating grains in the garden.
Pijju was sitting on the terrace. He saw Mausi coming near. Pijji’s back was towards her. He started thinking, ‘How to save Pijji?’
Sometime before the gardener had cleared out the thorny bushes and thrown them on the terrace.
Pijju quickly threw those bushes in Mausi’s way. The thorns started pricking her. She cried in pain and ran away from there.
When Mikku heard all this, he was elated.
Many animals and birds of Champakvan too gathered there. Patting Pijju, Mikku said, “Your wisdom and bravery saved the lives of your chicks as well as Pijji.
Those who get scared during tough times can never stand up. I am proud of our friendship.”
“Yes friend, you have made me brave,” Pijju said with pride.
All of them burst into laughter.
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