Once, a farmer in a village had a plump hen. The dogs in that locality wanted to eat her. So, one day, a dog went to her and said, “I have no friends in the village. If you be my friend, I won’t feel lonely.”

The hen was very kind to everyone. She felt sorry for the dog. “I too have no one in this world. Let’s be friends. We’ll enjoy each other’s company, I am sure,” she said. The dog was very happy.

“Don’t trust him, you fool!” said a crow. He was watching them from a nearby tree. The hen however paid no heed to the crow. She accompanied the dog to the river. In this way, the dog was able to gain the hen’s confidence.

One day, a hunter came to the village to catch birds. He had laid traps in the fields and the forests. When the hen was eating grains in the field, she got trapped in the hunter’s net. She cried for help. The dog came there to find what the matter was. “Help! Help!” the hen pleaded.

But the dog was very clever. He said, “If I come close to you, I too might get trapped. It’s better for me to escape from here.”

The hen was startled. She knew that her death was near. She continued crying for help. She was heard by the crow. He came to her and said, “You had not listened to me earlier. Now, do as I say. When the hunter comes in the evening, try to pretend to be dead.” The hen acted as she was told. Thinking the hen was dead, the hunter threw her aside. While he was going away, the hen quickly hopped away and disappeared into the field.

Moral: One who has no wit of his own often falls into the trap.