The Friendship of the Deer, Turtle, and Woodpecker
(Kurunga Miga – Jataka)
Jataka Tale
The Life Story of the Bodhisattva / the past life of the Buddha who was born as a Kurunga deer.
One day, misfortune befell the Deer. A cunning hunter roamed the forest and discovered the Deer’s tracks. Quickly, he set a trap, and that night, the Deer was caught in it. In a desperate situation, the Deer cried out for help from his friends.
Hearing the Deer’s cries, the Woodpecker and the Tortoise immediately held a discussion. The Tortoise, with extraordinary courage, bit the trap to free the Deer, while the Woodpecker flew high, ensuring that the hunter did not approach. However, as dawn broke, the hunter emerged with a knife in his hand, ready to hunt again.
The fearless Woodpecker attacked the hunter to distract him. The annoyed hunter tried to swat the bird away, but the Woodpecker kept bothering him, making him increasingly frustrated. Meanwhile, the Tortoise struggled hard to bite through the trap’s ropes, even though his teeth were injured and covered in blood.
When the Tortoise was caught and placed in the hunter’s bag, the Deer, seeing his friend in danger, could not remain silent. Cleverly, the Deer drew the hunter’s attention by pretending to be weak and inviting him to chase after him. The Deer ran away, luring the hunter deeper into the forest.
After running far, the Deer managed to escape from the hunter and quickly rushed to the Tortoise. With his antlers, the Deer tore open the bag where the Tortoise was trapped, freeing him from the hunter’s grasp. The Woodpecker then flew down, rejoining his friends.
The Deer, filled with gratitude, said, “You have saved my life. You have done what true friends should do. However, the hunter will soon return. Let us go to a safe place.” But the three friends refused to part ways. They chose to stay united, protecting one another.
Finally, the frustrated hunter gave up on trying to catch them. The three friends returned to live peacefully in the forest, remembering the importance of friendship and helping one another in times of difficulty.
MORAL VALUE
