The Crab and the Crane

An old crane stood by a pond, pretending to cry. "A fisherman is coming to drain this pond!" he told the fish. "Let me carry you one by one to a bigger lake." The grateful fish agreed. But the crane flew them to a rock, ate them, and returned for more. Day after day, the crane feasted. Then a crab asked to be taken too. The crane agreed, thinking crab meat would be a nice change. As they flew, the crab looked down and saw a pile of fish bones on the rock below. He understood everything instantly. With his powerful claws, the crab gripped the crane's neck tightly. "Fly me back or I will cut your head off," he said calmly. The panicking crane tried to shake him off but the crab's grip was iron. The crab severed the crane's neck and crawled safely back to the pond to warn the others.