50
Bater and his quail family
So that was the other part of the
strategy, and what a wonderful plan, Bulbul thought. Billi was actually trying
to catch a different jungle bush quail each time. Billi seemed to be absolutely
sure that he was trying to catch the same jungle bush quail each time. Whereas
he was, in fact pouncing on one quail, allowing him to get away, and then chasing
another quail. Teetiri must have thought up this strategy when she saw that all
the jungle bush quail looked equally frightened and nervous. Billi would never
guess that he was chasing a different quail each time.
Meanwhile on the ground, a tired Billi
had managed to pull himself out of the marsh waters. He was exhausted from all
the effort that it required to come out of the very sticky slush. He decided to
sit down and take some rest. Teetiri had planned for this situation also; it
seemed to Bulbul, for Kotwal immediately flew down to where Bater was hiding in
the marsh grasses. Hiding himself behind a thick clump of grasses, Kotwal tried
to talk to Bater. It seemed like an impossible task for Bater was totally
invisible even though he was sitting right in front of Kotwal. He could only
see Bater’s eye looking back at him from the dry brown grass in front of him.
The rest of the body was very difficult to trace out from its surroundings.
You had better signal to your family
to withdraw from their positions, Kotwal told Bater. Bring them all closer to
you and slowly start moving back from the marsh. Bater’s eyelid flickered up
and down, and he raised his head to speak to Kotwal, Move back now? Why? We are
doing so fine, all of us. I have never seen my family so bold, so courageous
and faithful. They are, each one of them, confident of facing up to Billi. And
they are doing it, without my presence at their side. I am so proud of them.
Why should we withdraw now? Is this the end of Teetiri’s plan? Bater asked
Kotwal.
No, my courageous friend, this is not
the end of Teetiri’s plan, Kotwal replied, there is more to come. Just wait.
Billi may get dangerous as he gets more and more tired. That is why Teetiri
wants you and your family out of the marsh now. Each time that Billi pounced on
one of your family, we were lucky. It could have gone the other way also. Each
time, Billi could have managed to catch one member of your family. Now it is
the turn of the other birds of the grassland to harass Billi. So, Bater, my
friend, you had better call your family back.
