Week 12 Story: Quails on Cue

Image info: Quail, Image credit: Alabama Living

Once upon a time, there was a Fowler that knew how to hunt for quails. Following a fresh trail of track left behind by a group of quails, the Fowler found their hiding-place and developed a plan that would allow him to catch all of them at once. Furthermore, as he knew how to imitate a quail’s note, the Fowler sat hidden among the trees with a net by his side, and called out the quail’s note to lure them outside of their hiding-place. Quick to his feet, the Fowler immediately threw the net over them once he caught sight of the birds, and bagged them up.
However, among the quails, there was one extremely clever bird that devised up a plan that would lead them all to safety. Moreover. They followed the plan of the clever bird, and arranged themselves so that when the net was thrown over them, their head would pop out, and then, at the word, they would all fly together. As a result of the plan, the birds were able to fly freely away from the Fowler.
The Fowler, who have not given up on his hunt, returns the next day and makes a second attempt at catching the quails. Before he knew it, the same thing happened like last time, and the birds were able to fly safely away. Still, the Fowler continued his same hunt, hoping that one day, he would be able to bag them because he believed that sooner or later, they would all begin to quarrel. And before he knew it, he was right.
 One day, one bird angrily shouted at another because his foot was treaded over. Overhearing the ruckus created by the birds, the first quail, who came up with the plan, quickly silenced them.
“Quiet! Do not ruin this for the rest of us. Not all of us want to die. Now, focus and pay attention!” said the first quail.
The birds listened and began to fly once the cue was announced, freeing them once again from the Fowler. However, this time was the last time they would ever return back to that hiding-place. From now on, they would have to find a new place they could all call home.


Bibliography:
“Union Strength” by W.H.D. Rouse. Website: Freebookapallooza.


Author’s note:
 In the story “Union Strength” from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from the Old India by W.H.D. Rouse, the author writes about a group of clever quails who escapes the hunt of a Fowler, but ends up with fatal results due to a silly quarrelsome that they couldn’t resolve.
However, in my version of the story, I decided to let the birds live instead of dying in a fatal accident. Moreover, I thought that I would let the initial clever bird to come up with another plan that would eventually save the day.