Shaharzaad further said - "Listen to this story of a sparrow and a peacock, O King. There lived a sparrow, once upon a time, that used to visit a king of the birds early in the morning and stayed there waiting upon him till evening; being the first to go in and the last to go out. Once some birds met on a high mountain and one of them said to the other - "Although we have many differences among ourselves, but we have king among us who can take care of us. Then our differences will disappear and we all will be one."

So that sparrow came there and counseled them to choose peacock as their king (this was the prince the sparrow used to visit). So they chose the peacock as their king, and the peacock made the sparrow as his secretary and the Prime Minister. Now the sparrow started looking after the king's other necessary matter instead of waiting upon him.

It so happened that one day the sparrow did not appear at his usual time, so the peacock got worried about him. In a little while the sparrow appeared, then the peacock said to him - "What has delayed you. You are the nearest to me among all of my servants and dearest of all my dependents." The sparrow said - "I have seen a thing which is doubtful to me, so I am afraid." "And what is that?" The sparrow said - "I saw a man setting up his net near my nest and spreading some grains in the midst of it and he was sitting a bit far from it. I sat watching it wondering what it would do. Then I saw that a crane and his wife fell into his net and began to cry, so the hunter rose and took them to his home. This troubled me and this is the reason why I was absent for so long. But now I have thought that I will not live in that nest for the fear of net."

The peacock said - "Do not leave your home because nothing happens against your fate." And the sparrow obeyed his order and kept patience. So he took care of himself and carried the food to his king who would eat whatever he liked, then drink the water and then dismiss the sparrow.

Now one day as the sparrow was looking into matters, he saw two sparrows fighting on the ground and said to himself, "How can I, who is the Vazeer of the king, look on sparrows fighting in my neighborhood? By Allaah, I must make peace between them." So he flew to them to make peace between them, but the hunter had cast his net all over and the sparrow happened to be in their very midst.

Then the hunter arose and took him home saying, "I have never seen a sparrow fatter and finer than this one." The sparrow thought, "I have fallen into the same net which I feared, and none but the peacock inspired me to do this. But I should not blame the peacock as even he, who takes precaution, cannot escape the Destiny."

End of Story No 63