1. 5. The Crafty Crane And The Craftier Crab
Once
upon a time an old crane lived on the rim of a large lake in the middle of a
jungle. Because of age, it was not able to prey on fish and other insects.
Unable to suffer hunger, the crane stood on the edge of the lake and began
crying pitiably. Moved at the sight, a crab passing by asked the crane:
“Friend,
what is the matter? Why are you not hunting for food today?”
“Son,
you have correctly guessed. I am feeling guilty because I have swallowed too
many fish. I have decided to fast unto death and am not harming even the fish
that are within my reach,” said the crane.
“But
why are you so philosophical today,” asked the crab.
“What
shall I tell you? I have heard that there will be no rains for the coming
twelve years. Astrologers have forecast an evil conjunction of the planets. As
a result, there won't be rains on this earth for another twelve years. All
these years we have all played and lived together. I am now worried about the
fate waiting for these poor fish and other creatures in the lake. They will die
and I will be alone and without them.”
“Is
there no way we can save ourselves?”
“At
present, fish and other water creatures in other lakes are migrating to bigger
lakes with the help of their relatives. Here, nobody seems to worry about the
dark future. At this rate, there won't be any kind of fish left.”
The
crab carried this information to all the fish and other water creatures in the
lake. Alarmed, all of them came to the crane and pleaded with him to show them
the way to overcome this danger.
“Why
not. There is a big lake not far from here that has plenty of water throughout
the year and lotuses always in bloom. That lake does not go dry even if there
are no rains for twenty-four years. I can ferry all of you one by one to that
lake.”
The
poor fish and other water creatures at once put all the trust in the crane and
agreed to be ferried. Every day, the crane would take one of them at a time to
a lonely place, smash them against a stone and eat them. He would return to the
lake and repeat the trick every day.
One
day the crab asked the crane, “Uncle, you are taking everyone to the faraway
lake and not me. Why don't you take me there today and save my life?”
Tired
with eating fish every day, the crane too was happy to carry the crab to the
lake that did not exist. The crab was happy and mounted on the back of the
crane. As the crane was flying close to the spot where he ate all the fish, the
crab saw a heap of fish bones and asked the crane, “Uncle, we have come a long
distance and I see no lake anywhere. Tell me, where is the lake?”
“You
are a fool to trust me. There is no lake. Nor is there water. Say your prayers
now; I am going to kill you.” The crafty crab at once caught the neck of the
crane in his claws and tore through it to death. Slowly, carrying the crane's
neck, the crab reached the lake where all his friends, worried that the crane
did not come back, asked him what made him come back.
The
crab said, “you fools, that crane was taking all of us to a lonely place where
it would smash the victims against a rock and have them for lunch. I found out
his mischief and saved myself by slicing his neck. From today, all of us can
live happily without fear.”
Then
the crows asked the jackal how they could get rid of the cobra that was
feasting on their offspring. The jackal told them to go to a big city and
snatch any item of jewellery from a palace and drop it in the hollow of the
tree that is the cobra's home. In search of the jewellery, the king's men would
reach the tree and kill the cobra.
The
crow couple flew off to a lake where the women in the king's harem were
revealing in water. Before entering water, the women left their jewellery and
clothes on the waterside. The female crow skillfully dived and snatched a gold
necklace and began slowly flying towards the cobra's hideout. The king's men
who saw the crow fly off with the necklace followed the female crow and saw it
dropping the necklace into the hollow of the tree. They ran to the tree and
pulling it out killed the cobra.
“That's
why,” Damanaka told Karataka, “elders say that he who is wise is stronger than
the strong. That is how a small hare killed the almighty lion.”
“How
is that?” asked Karataka.
"That
is another story,” said Damanaka.
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