Unity Can Do Wonders

There was a small valley surrounded by mountains. In the hay field of the valley, there was a colony of forty mice.

Once there was a great famine. The paddy field dried up and the mice faced severe scarcity of food and water.

" We have to go to the other side of the mountain. There is a big river. We will get sufficient food there." The Chief Mouse told.

The chief sent his son with two other mice to find the best path to cross the mountain and locate a place on the other side of the mountains to settle down.

Days passed and they didn't return. The worried chief sent another batch of three mice but they also vanished.

After waiting for a couple of days the chief with his assistant went in search of the vanished mice.

They followed the way with mice footprints.

After reaching the top of the mountain they couldn't see any mice footprints further.

They were searching for the vanished mice at the top of the mountain nervously, suddenly a very large common krait came out of the nearby bush and pounced on them. It engulfed the assistant but somehow the chief saved his life and ran down to his tribe.

" We have lost our heroes. The snake has eaten all of them." He told everyone in sorrow.

Everyone became sad. Some started crying. The chief was in grief for some days due to the loss of his son and some of his friends.

" I have to save others living here. The only path through which we can go to the other side is blocked by the snake. All are going to die without food and water here." He thought to himself.

He met an old grasshopper and requested him to fly to the clever crow and convey their pathetic situation.

"Though I am not on good terms with both of you but need your help to save my tribe. Please help me." The chief requested the grasshopper.

The grasshopper went to the crow but didn't return for several days.

The mouse colony lost hope. Suddenly one day the grasshopper returned with the clever crow.

"Sorry for the delay, but I have prepared your escape plan." The wise crow said.

" I am very grateful for your help. We are not going to survive for long, here ." The chief told.

All the mice gathered around the crow.

"I could have come earlier but I had to study the daily behavior of the snake obstructing your escape path." The wise crow said.

" As he is a nocturnal animal his daytime activities are very less. In the afternoon he eats and sleeps till nightfall."

" So, afternoon is the best time to cross the mountain top." The crow added.

"But we are also nocturnal animals and our day vision is not good. So how can we move in the daytime.?" The chief asked.

" I have thought about this also. How do you mice move days after birth? " The crow asked.

"We are blind and deaf after birth for some weeks. So, if we have to shift places we depend on each other. One mouse holds the mother's tail in his mouth and his tail is held by another little one, like this we make a long chain and jump like a wave" the chief said.

" Yes, this skill is required. You will all make a chain like that only. Olds at front young at last. From a distance, it will appear like a snake " The crow explained.

" And I will make a sound on the opposite side of the mountain. You will follow my sound" the crow said again

“If listening to your sound the Krait suspects and gets up, what will happen?" the chief asked

"Don't think about it. For the last 4 days, I have been making sounds near him at the same time in the afternoon so he is not going to think of any unusual activities near him. By looking at your wave-like structure, he will think of another snake passing by." The crow explained.

The next day as decided the whole mouse colony climbed the mountain. Just before the top, they formed a chain holding each other’s tails. The chief remained in the front then the oldest one after him. They made a chain with the youngest at the last.

The chain was of thirty-three mice that looked like a snake from a distance. The grasshopper confirmed that the snake was sleeping.

The crow was making sounds on the side of the mountain.

Now the mouse chain started moving. The snake felt a tremor opened its eye and saw a wave-like thing. After opening for a short period to see the wave again he closed his eyes, sleeping peacefully.

The mice passed through the mountain with the help of the grasshopper and the crow.

They reached the riverbed and wholeheartedly thanked both the saviors.

" It's your unity which saved you. Unity can do miracles.” The wise crow told.