Taatayya Kathalu in English

           It is a known fact that the owl is a night bird and the swan is a day bird. An owl nested in a tree near the pond where a swan lived. Both at dawn and dusk, they both used to share their friendship. As summer started, the tree on which the owl had nested withered its leaves. The owl was forced to leave the tree to find another nest. The owl invited the swan, "Dear swan, why don't you also come with me to my new homeland?   We both can live there happily as we are today." The swan replied, "Sorry my friend, I can't leave this pond. There is still plenty of water. Soon there will be rain. You can always return here." The owl waved goodbye and left for his new homeland. The swan could not stay without seeing his friend for long. So, he decided to have a visit to the new living place of the owl. The owl was very pleased to see his friend. "Stay for a couple of days with me, my friend," requested the owl. The swan too agreed. In the meantime...

         High in the Himalayas was a sacred pond. Many divine creatures lived in the pond. A pair of white swans called Maya and Chaya also lived there. They were very pure and beautiful. They were always together. They never left one another. There was even envy among other swans on the true friendship among these two. There was a kingdom at the foothills of the Himalayas.  The king had once come to the pond on a divine pilgrimage. He saw Maya and Chaya and was attracted by their divine beauty. "It would be fitting for me to have these two swans in my garden," thought the king. When the king returned to his kingdom, he called for his ministers and declared his wish, "Ministers, I saw a pair of swans in a divine pond in the Himalayas. I am so desirous of having them in my royal garden. Make arrangements to bring them to our royal garden at the earliest." The ministers had a conference to execute the wish of their king. They called for the best fowl hunter i...