Shen's Blog: Week 12

The Terrible Crane

There once was a forest thick and green. It was filled with happy animals. They were all so carefree. They had shelter and plenty of food to feast every night. The predators and prey did not have much conflict. Except for the occasional "sorry I ate your neighbor." The animals did not really have an issue with that. They all understood the circle of life. They all lived in harmony.

Spring was on it's way. The animals were all ready for the new season and all the new life. They waited... and waited... and waited. The rain and new life never came. The animals were scared. The home they knew was not the same. It was starting to change the way the animals were behaving. The once safe oasis now did not feel so safe anymore.

The trees were bare and withered. The birds and monkeys didn't know where to sleep. The lakes, rivers, and ponds all dried up. The fish and aquatic life were all suffering. There was no grass for the animals to graze on. Their paradise had become their own personal hell.

As the animals became desperate. They started to be aggressive and hostile towards each other. They were no longer as peaceful and kind. The fish were bumping into each other as they swam because the water level dropped so low!

One night a hungry crane came to the shallow pond. He told the fish about a pond filled with water deep in the forest and offered to transport them, "hey fish! There is a pond I found deep in the forest. It is filled with water. I will take you there."

A fish adviser asked him how they can trust him, "how can we trust a predator to take us there safely?"

"Send one of your trusted fish to go look with me now. I will bring him back and he can tell you about the oasis."

So they send a representative with the crane. The crane carried the fish in his mouth all the way to a new pond that was filled with water. They turned around and came back to the old pond. The representative convinced all the other fish to transfer over!

The crane took the first fish in his mouth and took it deep into the forest. Away from the oasis. AND ATE HIM! The crane did this every day until the the pond had no more fish.

Authors note: I took inspiration from The Crab and the Crane. In the original the crane eats all the fish then goes for the crab. The crab then cuts his head off. The story focuses on karma. I also wanted to tell the story as a kids story.

Ellen C. Babbitt The Crab and the Crane