• The Deer, The Woodpecker, and the Turtle

Teamwork overcomes all challenges

Once upon a time, in a peaceful, green forest with a sparkling lake, there lived three best friends: a Deer, a Woodpecker, and a Turtle. They all lived happily together. The Woodpecker had a cozy nest high in a tall tree, the Turtle loved swimming in the cool lake, and the Deer roamed freely through the forest.

One day, a hunter came into the forest. He noticed the Deer’s footprints near the lake and thought, “I’ll catch this Deer.” He set a strong leather trap by the water and went away, planning to return later.

That night, the Deer went to the lake to drink water. But as soon as he stepped near, the trap snapped shut around his legs! The Deer was frightened and cried out loudly for help.

Hearing their friend’s cries, the Woodpecker and the Turtle rushed to the lake. The Woodpecker said, “Don’t worry! I have a plan.” She turned to the Turtle and said, “Your sharp teeth can cut through the trap. Start chewing it right away! I’ll go and distract the hunter to keep him from coming back too soon.”

The Turtle began biting the tough leather trap, while the Woodpecker flew off to the hunter’s house.

As the morning sun rose, the hunter grabbed his knife and prepared to leave. But just as he stepped out of his front door, the Woodpecker swooped down, flapping her wings in his face. The hunter was startled and went back inside. “I’ll leave from the back door instead,” he muttered.

The clever Woodpecker quickly guessed what he was up to and flew to the back door. When the hunter stepped out, she dived at him again, flapping her wings wildly. This game of distraction went on for hours. Every time the hunter tried to leave, the Woodpecker stopped him.

Meanwhile, back at the lake, the Turtle was working as hard as he could. His mouth hurt, and his teeth were sore, but he kept chewing the trap. By the time the sun was high in the sky, he had almost freed the Deer.

Finally, the hunter managed to leave his house and hurried toward the lake. The Woodpecker flew back to warn her friends, shouting, “The hunter is coming! Hurry!” The Turtle bit through the last strap, and the Deer leaped out of the trap just in time. He ran deep into the forest to hide.

But the poor Turtle was too tired and weak to move quickly. The hunter spotted him and picked him up. He put the Turtle in a bag and tied it to a tree.

When the Deer saw what had happened, he came up with a brave plan. He stepped into the hunter’s view, letting the man see him. “Ah, there’s my Deer!” the hunter said, dropping the bag to chase him. The Deer ran deep into the forest, leading the hunter far, far away. Once the hunter was tired and lost, the Deer darted away and circled back to the tree where the Turtle was tied.

The Deer found the bag hanging on the tree and heard his friend’s voice inside. Using his strong antlers, the Deer tore the bag open and freed the Turtle. The Turtle smiled and said, “Thank you, my friend!”

Just then, the Woodpecker joined them. “The hunter might come back,” said the Deer. “We must all hide. Woodpecker, fly high to your nest. Turtle, go back to your lake. I’ll hide in the thick forest.”

When the hunter returned, he found nothing but his torn bag. Angry and tired, he stomped away, leaving the forest for good.

From that day on, the Deer, the Woodpecker, and the Turtle lived happily together in their beautiful forest. They learned that with teamwork, bravery, and friendship, they could overcome any challenge that came their way.