In a nest, set in a rice field, lived a mother bird and her two little

chicks. Every morning, the mother bird flew away to forage for
food. Before going, she always tbld the chicks, "Don't go out.
Danger stalks everywhere. Stay inside. Then no harm will come
to you. Listen to every little sound, including any conversation
you overhear. For it is time for harvest. We must leave this place
before the men come to harvest the crop."
That day, a little after the bird had flown off came the farmer and
his son. They walked close to where the nest lay. The farmer
looked atthe crop. Then he told his son, "It is time for harvest. We
must get help from the village. We will request our neighbours
to help us." The son nodded his head. The two walked away.
The chicks reported the conversation to their mother. She replied
coolly, "No need to worry. Not as yet." The chicks left it at that.
They were hungry. They opened their beaks. Mother bird started
feeding them.
Next day, as usual, she warned the chicks and left. The farmer
and the son turned up a little later. The chicks peeped out of the
nest. They heard the farmer say, "The villagers are busy. They
have no time to help us. We must get outside help."
When the mother bird returned, the chicks told her, what they
had heard. But she said, "Don't worry. We still have time to shift."
A few days later, the farmer and the son visited the field again.
The farmer looked worried and said to his son, "If we don't
harvest the crop quickly, we will suffer losses. Since we can't get
help, tomorrow we must harvest the crop ourselves." "Okay,"
said the boy.
That evening, when the bird returned, the chicks told her what
they had heard. Mother bird fed the chicks, and said, "This time
the farmer is serious. He will cut the crops tomorrow. I think you
are strong enough to fly. Follow me. We will go to our new home
on the fork of the gulmohar tree over there."
"How can you be so certain?" The chicks asked.
"Because this time, the farmer and his son have decided to cut the
crop themselves. They have realised that self help is the best
help," said the mother bird, leading the chicks to their new home.