Chitragriva and his flock were flying above a quiet clearing when they noticed grain scattered on the ground. The birds were hungry. They landed together, but a hidden net caught their feet and wings.
Some birds pulled one way and others pulled another. The net stayed where it was. Chitragriva asked them to pause. ‘We cannot make the net disappear,’ he said, ‘but we can choose how we move. When I count to three, let us all lift together.’
At three, every bird beat its wings in the same direction. The net rose from the ground. It was heavy, and no bird could have carried it alone. Together, they flew toward the home of Hiranyaka, a mouse who was their friend.
Hiranyaka hurried outside. He began to nibble the knot around Chitragriva. But the leader stopped him gently. ‘Please help my friends first. They have trusted me to bring them here.’
The mouse worked patiently from one knot to the next. The birds waited and kept one another calm. Finally, all of them were free. Their adventure had begun with a mistake, but it ended with cooperation, friendship and a leader who thought about everyone.
Before they flew away, Chitragriva thanked Hiranyaka. ‘Today we learned something important,’ he said. ‘Many wings need a shared direction—and every good plan needs friends who care.’