The Wanderings of Vicram Maharajah

It turned out, however, just as Vicram Maharajah had foretold; some of the fruits and seeds in their beaks fell under the tree and the seeds took root and sprang up, strong creeping plants, which twined all round the straight trunks of the banyan tree, and made it very easy to climb.

The next time the hunter came by, he noticed this. "Ah, my fine friends," he said, "I've got you at last." With the help of the creepers, he climbed the tree and set one thousand and one snares of fine thread among the branches. Having done this, he went away.

That night, when the parrots flew down on the branches as usual, they found themselves all caught by the feet.

"Crick! crick! crick!" cried they, "crick! crick! Oh dear! Oh dear! What shall we do? What can we do? Oh, Vicram Maharajah, you were right and we were wrong. Oh dear! Oh dear! Crick! crick!"

Then Vicram said, "Did I not tell you how it would be? But do as I bid you now and we may yet be saved. So as soon as the hunter comes to take us away, let everyone hang his head down on one side, as if he were dead. Thinking us dead, he will not trouble himself to wring our necks, or stick the heads of those he wishes to keep alive through his belt, as he otherwise would, but will merely release us and throw us on the ground. Let each one remain perfectly still until the whole thousand and one are set free and the hunter begins to descend the tree. Then we will all fly up over his head and far out of sight."

The parrots agreed to do as Vicram Maharajah Parrot proposed. When the hunter came next morning to take them away, every one had his eyes shut and his head hanging down on one side as if he were dead. The hunter said, "All dead, indeed! This will be easier than I thought!" So saying, he cut the noose that held the first parrot and threw him down. It fell like a stone to the ground, so did the second, the third, the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and so on - up to the thousandth parrot.