The Cruel Crane Outwitted

by Joseph Jacobs

　　 Now at that time the water used to run short at the dry season in a certain pond, not over large, in which there were a good many fish. And a crane thought on seeing the fish:

　　"I must outwit these fish somehow or other and make a prey of them."

　　And he went and sat down at the edge of the water, thinking how he should do it.

　　When the fish saw him, they asked him, "What are you sitting there for, lost in thought?"

　　"I am sitting thinking about you," said he.

　　"Oh, sir! what are you thinking about us?" said they.

　　"Why," he replied; "there is very little water in this pond, and but little for you to eat; and the heat is so great! So I was thinking, 'What in the world will these fish do now?'"

　　"Yes, indeed, sir! what are we to do?" said they.

　　"If you will only do as I bid you, I will take you in my beak to a fine large pond, covered with all the kinds of lotuses, and put you into it," answered the crane.

　　"That a crane should take thought for the fishes is a thing unheard of, sir, since the world began. It's eating us, one after the other, that you're aiming at."

　　"Not I! So long as you trust me, I won't eat you. But if you don't believe me that there is such a pond, send one of you with me to go and see it."

　　Then they trusted him, and handed over to him one of their number—a big fellow, blind of one eye, whom they thought sharp enough in any emergency, afloat or ashore.

　　Him the crane took with him, let him go in the pond, showed him the whole of it, brought him back, and let him go again close to the other fish. And he told them all the glories of the pond.

　　And when they heard what he said, they exclaimed, "All right, sir! You may take us with you."

　　Then the crane took the old purblind fish first to the bank of the other pond, and alighted in a Varana-tree growing on the bank there. But he threw it into a fork of the tree, struck it with his beak, and killed it; and then ate its flesh, and threw its bones away at the foot of the tree. Then he went back and called out:

　　"I've thrown that fish in; let another one come."

　　And in that manner he took all the fish, one by one, and ate them, till he came back and found no more!