"Be good, my little ones", said Mother Quail to seven little quails, who were chirping in the nest. "Father and Mother will bring you soon little worms and insects and grass seeds." But each time, when Mother and Father Quail came back to the nest, six little quails greedily swallowed the worms and insects, but the seventh only ate grass seeds. While the wings of his brothers grew strong and firm, the wings of the little one did not grow at all.
One night, as the family was peacefully snuggled up together, they were wakened by sad cries from the heart of the forest. Mother and Father Quail and the seven little ones peeped out over the rim of the nest. What were these fiery red clouds which roared over the faraway trees?
The little quails began to weep, Mother and Father kept them firm in their wings.
Crack…. Crack…. Shoo…. Shoo… raged the big red clouds. "Look Father", shouted the seventh little quail, "there is a fire in the wood."
The flames penetrated, fast as the wind, through the forest, burning every bush and tree on their way. The roaring came nearer, and soon the fire reached the nest. There was no time to be lost, and Mother and Father Quail dashed off with the six little ones. But the seventh, the little one, stayed back alone, it still had no wings to fly. Shoo…. Shoo… raged the big red clouds, as they danced around the nest. But the little one had no fear; it stared firmly with his two small sparkling eyes into the flames and spoke with a softly chirping voice to them.
"I am small," it said, "and I have no wings. Why do you come to this tiny nest, where I have stayed back alone? Go your ways, mighty flames, there is nothing for you!" While it spoke so, the raging fire crept away and disappeared through the trees, and the forest turned silent.
One by one little voices rose again from the moss, and the frogs announced that all was clear. Their little heads peeped from their hideouts. The clouds of smoke were blown away far, and Queen Moon smiled again through the trees.
The little quail also smiled in its nest, seeing that the forest awoke again, and they lived happily ever after.
