Long time ago there lived a swan who used to spend time in various playful activities on a lake. Once an owl visited him in the forest and requested him to be friends after praising the swan a lot. The swan agreed to be friends with him and they used to spend time near the lake for many days.

But the owl soon got bored of the place and told the swan, “I am going back to my home in the Lotus wood, and if you ever want to visit me you can visit me there.” The swan, after many days once decided to pay a visit to the owl in the Lotus wood. On reaching Lotus wood, it could not find the owl, who was hiding in the dark hole. The owl asked the swan to take rest till daylight was over and told him that he could come out only at night. The swan decided to take rest.

It so happened that a group of merchants were passing by the wood the next day early morning. The merchants chanted some hymns, and to that the owl replied with a hoot. Thinking that this was a bad omen, the merchants decided to shoot the owl down. The owl sensing danger had fled and took refuge in a nearby hole near the shore of the lake. But the swan did not move. The arrow from the merchants came and hit the swan and it was killed.

❖ Friendship has to be between equals.

❖ Make friends among people who are like you.