The Crane and the Crab
Once upon a time, there was a crane who lived by the edge of a pond. He used to catch fish from that pond.
All the fish hated him, but he loved all the fish because:
— Fish are so tasty! Yum!
The crane always had a full meal. He always enjoyed his hunting and his meals.
The Crane Grows Old
— What's happening to me?
The crane was getting old and weaker. He wasn't himself. His flights were slower.
— I'm already tired.
And as he dove to catch fish, most of the time, the fish escaped him because of his slow movements.
— My joints hurt badly.
— Don't go there! The crane will eat you!
— Ah, don't worry! He hasn't been able to eat me for the last two weeks. I've been teasing him! But you see, he can't even move. And before he tries to catch me, I'm already far away from him. Let me show you!
— Ah, food!
— Ah, I caught you!
But he fell flat on the water, while the fish swam further to their friends.
— Did you see that? Now we don't have to fear the crane anymore!
Over time, he had become so weak that he could no longer get his food. Fish swam around him, and he couldn't catch them anymore.
— Oh, cursed be old age! How am I supposed to feed myself? I've been hungry for two days!
The Wicked Plan
One day, he became extremely hungry. He hadn't eaten anything for several days.
To satisfy his hunger, without too much effort or trouble, he devised a plan.
— Oh, I know what I must do!
To initiate his plan, he went to the edge of the pond, with a gloomy face, without any intention of catching fish.
The fish, frogs, and crabs thought: why isn't he trying to catch food?
— Oh, he looks so sad!
— Maybe he's hungry!
— He's going to die!
A big crab, seeing the sad crane, went up to him.
— Hello, old crane! What happened? You look so sad!
— Alas, I have some bad news about this pond.
— Bad news? What happened?
— No, I don't have the strength to tell you that.
— Oh, come on! If it's about the pond, we must know! We live here too!
— Alright, if you insist! I'm worried that the pond will soon be devoid of any fish, which, in turn, are my food source.
— Devoid of any fish? How? Why?
— I heard that some people will fill the reservoir with mud and plant crops over it.
— Oh, dear! That's pure bad luck! I must tell the others!
— It's terrible! Awful!
— What will we do?
— Oh, no!
All the creatures of the pond became worried after listening to the crane.
— Oh dear! What will we do now?
— You can continue to live on land, but we fish won't survive!
— Ah, panic has spread!
With the situation on his side, the crane said:
— Don't panic! There's a way out!
— There is?
— Yes. I know a distant pond where all creatures will be safe. If the creatures are interested, I can transport a few each day to the other pond, where they will be safe.
— Oh, yes, please help us! Help us! Help us! Help us! Please help us! We need your help!
Everyone in the lake was eager to receive the crane's help.
— But I have a few conditions.
— Which ones? Which ones? Which ones? Which ones?
— I will need rest between trips, due to my old age, and I will only be able to transport a few fish at a time.
— Oh, we agree! Yes, that's fine! I agree! We agree!
The creatures were ready to go with the crane under his stated conditions. On the first trip, the crane took some fish in his beak.
But instead of taking them to another pond, he took them to a nearby hill and ate them.
— Ah, finally! My hunger is satisfied.
After resting for a while, when he got hungry again, he went on a second trip.
Thus, the crane effortlessly obtained a continuous supply of fish. In a few days, he regained his health and became strong again.
The Tables Turn
The big crab also wanted to be saved.
— Please, take me to the other pond too.
— A good time to try a different meal. Alright, I'll take you on the next trip.
On the next trip, after some time had passed,
— How far is the other pond?
The crane discovered that the crab was quite an innocent creature and would never suspect his wicked plans.
— Fool! Do you think I am your servant? There is no other pond around here. I made this plan so I could eat all of you. Now get ready and go lose your life!
The crab realized the crane's wicked game.
— Ah, I won't die this way, selfish crane!
And without losing control, he quickly tightened his claws around the crane's neck.
— Ah, it hurts!
— It will hurt even more now!
The crab broke the crane's head, and so the crane lost his life.
The crab somehow crawled back to the pond and told the entire incident to all the creatures in the pond. Each of them thanked the crab for his effort.
— Oh, crab, you are so clever!
— No, the crane lost his life because of his greed and not because of my cleverness.
The Moral of the Story
Take heed, excessive greed is harmful.
