The Four Friends

A deer, a crow, a mouse, and a tortoise became close friends. Each was different: one swift, one watchful, one able to cut, and one steady.

When a hunter trapped the deer in a net, the crow found him, the mouse cut the net, and the tortoise waited nearby. Later, when the tortoise was caught, the others worked together again.

The deer pretended to be dead, the hunter put down the tortoise, and the mouse freed him. Friendship turned separate abilities into shared safety.