The Crane and The Crab

Once on a time the Bodhisatta came to life in a certain
forest-haunt as the divinity of a tree which stood near a
certain lotus-pond. In those days the water used every
summer to fall very low in a certain pond, not very big,
-which was plentifully stocked with fish. Catching sight
of these fish, a certain crane said to himself, " I must find
a way to cajole and eat these fish." So he went and sat
down in deep thought by the side of the water.

Now when the fishes caught sight of him, they said,
" Of what are you thinking, my lord, as you sit there ? "
"I am thinking about you," was the reply. "And what
is your lordship thinking about us ? " " The water in this
pool being low, food scarce, and the heat intense, I was
wondering to myself, as I sat here, what in the world you
fishes would do." " And what are we to do, my lord ? ''
" Well, if you'll take my advice, I will take you up one by
one in my beak, and carry you all off to a fine large pool
covered with the five varieties of lotuses, and there put
you down." "My lord," said they, "no crane ever took
the slightest thought for fishes since the world began.
Your desire is to eat us one by one." " No ; I will not eat
you while you trust me," said the crane. " If you don't
take my word that there is such a pond, send one of your
number to go with me and see for himself." Believing
the crane, the fish presented to him a great big fish (blind
of one eye, by the way), who they thought would be a
match for the crane whether afloat or ashore; and they
said, " Here's the one to go with you."

The crane took the fish off* and put him in the pool,
and after shewing him the whole extent of it, brought him
back again and put him in along with the other fish in his
old pond. And he held forth to them on the charms of
the new r pool.

After hearing this report, they grew eager to go there,
and said to the crane, " Very good, my lord; please take
us across."



First of all, the crane took that big one-eyed fish again
and carried him off to the edge of the pool, so that he
could see the water, but actuallv alighted in a Varana-tree
which grew on the bank. Dashing the fish down in a fork
of the tree, he pecked it to death, after w r hich he picked
him clean and let the bones fall at the foot of the tree.
Then back he went and said, " I've thrown him in ; who's
the next ? " And so he took the fish one by one, and ate
them all, till at last when he came back, he could not find
another left. But there was still a crab remaining in the
pond; so the crane, who wanted to eat him up too, said,
" Mister crab, I've taken all those fishes away and turned
them into a fine large pool covered all over with lotuses.

Come along; I'll take you too." "How will you carry
me across?" said the crab. "Why, in my beak, to be
sure," said the crane. " Ah, but you might drop me like
that," said the crab; "I won't go with you." "Don't be
frightened; I'll keep tight hold of you all the way."
Thought the crab to himself, "He hasn't put the fish in
the pool. But, if he would really put me in, that would
be capital. If he does not, why, I'll nip his head off" and
kill him." So he spoke thus to the crane, " You'd never be
able to hold me tight enough, friend crane; whereas we
crabs have got an astonishingly tight grip. If I might
take hold of your neck with my claws, I could hold it
tight and then would go along with you."

Not suspecting that the crab wanted to trick him, the
crane gave his assent. With his claws the crab gripped
hold of the crane's neck as with the pincers of a smith,
and said, "Now you can start." The crane took him
and shewed him the pool first, and then started oft' for
the tree.

"The pool lies this way, uncle," said the crab; "but
you're taking me the other way." " Very much your dear
uncle am I!" said the crane; "and very much my nephew
are you! I suppose you thought me your slave to lift you
up and carry you about ! Just cast your eye on that heap
of bones at the foot of the tree; as I ate up all those fish,
so I will eat you too." Said the crab, "It was through
their own folly that those fish were eaten by you; but I
shan't give you the chance of eating me. No; what I
shall do, is to kill you. For^ you, fool that you were, did
not see that I was tricking you. If we die, we will both
die together; I'll chop your head clean oft'." And so
saying he gripped the crane's weazand with his claws, as
with pincers. With his mouth wide open, and tears
streaming from his eyes, the crane, trembling for his life,
said, "Lord, indeed I will not eat you! Spare my life!"

" Well, then, just step down to the pool and put me
in," said the crab. Then the crane turned back and
stepped down as directed to the pool, and placed the
crab on the mud, at the water-edge. But the crab, before
entering the water, nipped off the crane's head as deftly
as if he were cutting a lotus stalk with a knife.

The divinity who dwelt in the tree, marking this
wonderful thing, made the whole forest ring with applause
repeating this stanza in sweet tones :

Guile profits not your very guileful folk.

Mark what the guileful crane got from the crab!