The Crab and the Crane

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An old crane, once swift and strong, now stood by the lake hollow with hunger. No fish came within reach, and in despair he wailed. A kind crab, pitying him, asked, “Uncle, why do you weep?” The crane sighed, “I fast unto death. Yet my sorrow is not for me but for you. A drought is coming—this lake will vanish, and you will perish.” Fear rippled through the waters. The crane whispered, “I alone can save you. Ride upon my back, and I shall carry you to a vast lake that never dries.” 

One by one, the creatures trusted him. Yet instead of rescue, he carried them to a rock, where he crushed and devoured them, returning with sweet lies of their happy new life. 

At last the crab asked for his turn. As they flew, he saw what fate awaited him. When the crane sought to hurl him down, the crab’s claws closed around his throat and did not let go until the deceiver lay dead.

Dragging the body back, the crab revealed the truth. The lake endured, and the creatures, though mourning their lost kin, lived on in safety.

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Moral: Even the smallest can triumph the mighty with wit.

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