कौए और उल्लू

kaue aur ulloo panchatantr ki prasiddh kahaniyoan mean se ek hai jisake rachayita achary vishnu sharma haian.

kahani

          bahut samay pahale ki bat haian ki ek van mean ek vishal baragad ka pe d kauoan ki rajadhani tha. hajaroan kaue us par vas karate the. usi pe d par kauoan ka raja meghavarn bhi rahata tha.
baragad ke pe d ke pas hi ek paha di thi, jisamean asankhy guphaean thian. un guphaoan mean ulloo nivas karate the, unaka raja arimardan tha. arimardan bahut parakrami raja tha. kauoan ko to usane ulluoan ka dushman nambar ek ghoshit kar rakha tha. use kauoan se itani napharat thi ki kisi kaue ko mare bina vah bhojan nahian karata tha.
jab bahut adhik kaue mare jane lage to unake raja meghavarn ko bahut chinta huee. usane kauoan ki ek sabha is samasya par vichar karane ke lie bulaee.
meghavarn bola 'mere pyare kauo, apako to pata hi haian ki ulluoan ke akramanoan ke karan hamara jivan asurakshit ho gaya haian. hamara shatru shaktishali haian aur ahankari bhi. ham par rat ko hamale kie jate haian. ham rat ko dekh nahian pate. ham din mean javabi hamala nahian kar pate, kyoanki ve guphaoan ke aandheroan mean surakshit baithe rahate haian.'
phir meghavarn ne syane aur buddhiman kauoan se apane sujhav dene ke lie kaha.
ek darapok kaua bola 'hamean ulluoan se samajhauta kar lena chahie. vah jo sharte rakhean, ham svikar karean. apane se takatavar dushman se pitate rahane mean kya tuk hai?'
bahut-se kauoan ne kaan kaan karake virodh prakat kiya. ek garm dimag ka kaua chikha 'hamean un dushtoan se bat nahian karani chahie. sab utho aur un par akraman kar do.'
ek nirashavadi kaua bola 'shatru balavan haian. hamean yah sthan chhodakar chale jana chahie.'
syane kaue ne salah di 'apana ghar chho dana thik nahian hoga. ham yahaan se ge to bilkul hi toot jaeange. hamean yahian rahakar aur pakshiyoan se sahayata leni chahie.'
kauoan mean sabase chatur v buddhiman sthirajivi namak kaua tha, jo chupachap baitha sabaki dalilean sun raha tha. raja meghavarn usaki or mu da 'mahashay, ap chup haian. maian apaki ray janana chahata hooan.'
sthirajivi bola 'maharaj, shatru adhik shaktishali ho to chhalaniti se kam lena chahie.'
'kaisi chhalaniti? jara saph-saph bataie, sthirajivi.' raja ne kaha.
sthirajivi bola 'ap mujhe bhala-bura kahie aur mujh par janaleva hamala kijie.’
meghavarn chauanka 'yah ap kya kah rahe haian sthirajivi?'
sthirajivi raja meghavarn vali dali par jakar kan mean bola 'chhalaniti ke lie hamean yah natak karana padega. hamare asapas ke pe doan par ulloo jasoos hamari is sabha ki sari karravaee dekh rahe haian. unhe dikhakar hamean phoot aur jhagade ka natak karana hoga. isake bad ap sare kauoan ko lekar rrishyamook parvat par jakar meri pratiksha karean. maian ulluoan ke dal mean shamil hokar unake vinash ka saman jutaooanga. ghar ka bhedi banakar unaki lanka dhaooanga.'
phir natak shuroo hua. sthirajivi chillakar bola 'maian jaisa kahata hooan, vaisa kar raja ke bachche. kyoan hamean maravane par tula haian?'
meghavarn chikh utha 'gaddar, raja se aisi badatamiji se bolane ki teri himmat kaise huee?' kee kaue ek sath chilla uthe 'is gaddar ko mar do.'
raja meghavarn ne apane pankh se sthirajivi ko joradar jhapad marakar tani se gira diya aur ghoshana ki 'maian gaddar sthirajivi ko kaua samaj se nikal raha hooan. ab se koee kaua is nich se koee sanbadh nahian rakhega.'
asapas ke pe doan par chhipe baithe ulloo jasoosoan ki aankhean chamak uthi. ulluoan ke raja ko jasoosoan ne soochana di ki kauoan mean phoot pad gee haian. mar-pit aur gali-galauch ho rahi haian. itana sunate hi ulluoan ke senapati ne raja se kaha 'maharaj, yahi mauqa haian kauoan par akraman karane ka. is samay ham unhean asani se hara deange.'
ulluoan ke raja arimardan ko senapati ki bat sahi lagi. usane turant akraman ka adesh de diya. bas phir kya tha hajaroan ulluoan ki sena baragad ke pe d par akraman karane chal di. parantu vahaan ek bhi kaua nahian mila.
milata bhi kaise? yojana ke anusar meghavarn sare kauoan ko lekar rrishyamook parvat ki or kooch kar gaya tha. pe d khali pakar ulluoan ke raja ne thooka 'kaue hamara samana karane ki bajae bhag ge. aise kayaroan par hazar thoo.' sare ulloo ‘hoo hoo’ ki avaz nikalakar apani jit ki ghoshana karane lage. niche jhadiyoan mean gira p da sthirajivi kaua yah sab dekh raha tha. sthirajivi ne kaan-kaan ki avaz nikali. use dekhakar jasoos ulloo bola 'are, yah to vahi kaua haian, jise inaka raja dhakka dekar gira raha tha aur apamanit kar raha tha.’
ulluoan ka raja bhi aya. usane poochha 'tumhari yah durdasha kaise huee?' sthirajivi bola 'maian raja meghavarn ka nitimantri tha. maianne unako nek salah di ki ulluoan ka netritv is samay ek parakrami raja kar rahe haian. hamean ulluoan ki adhinata svikar kar leni chahie. meri bat sunakar meghavarn krodhit ho gaya aur mujhe phatakar kar kauoan ki jati se bahar kar diya. mujhe apani sharan mean le lijie.'
ulluoan ka raja arimardan soch mean pad gaya. usake syane niti salahakar ne kan mean kaha 'rajan, shatru ki bat ka vishvas nahian karana chahie. yah hamara shatru haian. ise mar do.' ek chapaloos mantri bola 'nahian maharaj! is kaue ko apane sath milane mean bada labh rahega. yah kauoan ke ghar ke bhed hamean bataega.'
raja ko bhi sthirajivi ko apane sath milane mean labh najar aya ao ulloo sthirajivi kaue ko apane sath le ge. vahaan arimardan ne ulloo sevakoan se kaha 'sthirajivi ko gupha ke shahi mehaman kaksh mean thaharao. inhean koee kasht nahian hona chahie.'
sthirajivi hath jo dakar bola 'maharaj, apane mujhe sharan di, yahi bahut haian. mujhe apani shahi gupha ke bahar ek patthar par sevak ki tarah hi rahane dijie. vahaan baithakar apake gun gate rahane ki hi meri ichchha haian.' is prakar sthirajivi shahi gupha ke bahar dera jamakar baith gaya.
gupha mean niti salahakar ne raja se phir se kaha 'maharaj! shatru par vishvas mat karo. use apane ghar mean sthan dena to atmahatya karane saman haian.' arimardan ne use krodh se dekha 'tum mujhe zyada niti samajhane ki koshish mat karo. chaho to tum yahaan se ja sakate ho.' niti salahakar ulloo apane do-tin mitroan ke sath vahaan se sada ke lie yah kahata hua chala gaya. 'vinashakale viparit buddhi.'
kuchh dinoan bad sthirajivi lak diyaan lakar gupha ke dvar ke pas rakhane laga 'sarakar, sardiyaan ane vali haian. maian lak diyoan ki jhop di banana chahata hooan taki thand se bachav ho.’ dhire-dhire lak diyoan ka kafi dher jama ho gaya. ek din jab sare ulloo so rahe the to sthirajivi vahaan se u dakar sidhe rrishyamook parvat par pahuancha, jahaan meghavarn aur kauoan sahit usi ki pratiksha kar rahe the. sthirajivi ne kaha 'ab ap sab nikat ke jangal se jahaan ag lagi haian ek-ek jalati lak di choanch mean uthakar mere pichhe aie.'
kauoan ki sena choanch mean jalati lak diyaan pak d sthirajivi ke sath ulluoan ki guphaoan mean a pahuancha. sthirajivi dvara dher lagaee lak diyoan mean ag laga di gee. sabhi ulloo jalane ya dam ghutane se mar ge. raja meghavarn ne sthirajivi ko kaua ratn ki upadhi di.

sikh- shatru ko apane ghar mean panah dena apane hi vinash ka saman jutana hai.