Once upon a time there was an old woman. She had a pigeon. The pigeon had become tame as the old woman had bought it up with care. The pigeon sometimes flew from its cage and sat on her head, shoulders or back. She always let it fly in her garden.

Then feeling that the pigeon would be feeling lonely, she bought two more pigeons from Empress Market. She took good care of them.

But her family was not happy with three pigeons flying in the house. And many a time they told her to get rid of them. Hence once when her son was going to visit her eldest son who lived at a distance, she gave him the two new pigeons and he released them to freedom.

A few days later, her son asked whether he could take the pigeon to fly in the garden. She agreed as she felt the pigeon must be lonely without its companions. However, the pigeon instead of coming back like it always did, flew away. The old woman was very sad.

The next day the old lady saw the pigeon sitting on one of the walls of her house. She tried to catch it but was not successful. She then called her son, who caught it.

A few days later, she took the pigeon to fly in the courtyard of the house. The pigeon flew over her house, sat on the wires and flew with other pigeons and then returned to her house.

The old lady was happy that the pigeon now regarded her house was its home and returned after flying outside in freedom for some time.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 2nd, 2015