Raksha Bandhan Story: Rooster and Jungle Babblers

There lived near a farmhouse in Kodaikanal seven jungle babblers (birds) alias Seven Sisters. The speciality of the Seven Sisters is the way they always remain together. They search for food together, they fly together, and they roost together. Normally sisters are known for quarrelling, but the Seven Sisters never quarrel.

Coming back to the story, this flock of Seven Sisters were searching for worms and insects inside the farm when they saw a baby chicken running here and there like a lost child. Even as the sisters were discussing how the baby chicken could be guided to its parents, a kite appeared in the sky.

It kept circling in the sky above with its eyes fixed on the listless baby chicken. When it swooped from the sky to grab the baby chicken, it failed to notice the Seven Sisters. The Seven Sisters rose from the ground like a squadron of warplanes and attacked the kite tooth and nail from different directions. What chance does a solo kite have against a group of determined Seven Sisters? It fled the scene with torn feathers.

Hearing the commotion, the cock whose name was Rock came out of the henhouse within which he was having his afternoon siesta. He saw how the Seven Sisters averted a disaster.

He walked up to them and said, "Oh, my dear Seven Sisters, I am grateful to you all for saving my chick. Hereafter I will consider you as my own sisters. I am here, your big brother. I will be before you whenever you need me."

The Seven Sisters were so happy to get a brother. It was not long before Rock the Cock proved what a brave brother he was to the Seven Sisters. A few blocks away from the farm lived a cat—a cat which waited to catch one of the Seven Sisters. One early morning, it managed to ambush and catch Sath, the youngest of the Seven Sisters. All the six siblings screamed for help.

Their big, bold brother Rock the Cock burst into the scene. He waylaid the cat thief and, with one peck of his steely beak on its head, freed the victim.

The very next day was Raksha Bandhan. All seven sisters tied a rakhi around the ankle of their newly found cock brother, Rock.

"When I am here no one can touch you,"

said Rock the Cock, and he strode to his henhouse after hugging his beloved Seven Sisters with his wings.