The Cruel Crane Outwitted
A tailor who used to make robes for the brotherhood was wont to cheat his customers, and thus prided himself on being smarter than other men. But once, on entering on an important business transaction with a stranger, he met his master in the way of cheating, and suffered a heavy loss.
The Blessed One said: “This is not an isolated incident in the greedy tailor’s fate; in other incarnations he suffered similar losses, and by trying to dupe others ultimately ruined himself. This same greedy character lived many generations ago as a crane near a pond, and when the dry season set in, he said to the fishes with a bland voice: care you not anxious for your future welfare There is at present very little water and still less food in this pond. What will you do should the whole pond become dry, in this drought?’ ‘Yes, indeed’ said the fishes what should we do?’ Replied the crane: ‘I know a fine, large lake, which never becomes dry. Would you not like me to carry you there in my beak?’ When the fishes began to distrust the honesty of the crane, he proposed to have one of them sent over to the lake to see it; and a big carp at last decided to take the risk for the sake of the others, and the crane carried him to a beautiful lake and brought him back in safety. Then all doubt vanished, and the fishes gained confidence in the crane, and now the crane took them one by one out of the pond and devoured them on a big varana-tree.
“There was also a lobster in the pond, and when the crane wanted to eat him too, he said: ‘I have taken all the fishes away and put them in a fine, large lake. Come along. I shall take you, too!’ ‘But how will you hold me to carry me along?’ asked the lobster. ‘I shall take hold of you with my beak, said the crane. ‘You will let me fall if you carry me like that. I will not go with you!’ replied the lobster. ‘You needst not fear,’ rejoined the crane; ‘I shall hold you quite tight all the way.’
“Then said the lobster to himself: ‘If this crane once gets hold of a fish, he will certainly never let him go in a lake! Now if he should really put me into the lake it would be splendid; but if he does not, then I will cut his throat and kill him!’ So he said to the crane: ‘Look here, friend, you will not be able to hold me tight enough; but we lobsters have a famous grip. If you will let me catch hold of you round the neck with my claws, I shall be glad to go with you.’
“The crane did not see that the lobster was trying to outwit him, and agreed. So the lobster caught hold of his neck with his claws as securely as with a pair of blacksmith’s pincers, and called out: ‘Ready, ready, go!’ The crane took him and showed him the lake, and then turned off toward the varana-tree. ‘My dear uncle!’ cried the lobster, “The lake lies that way, but you are taking me this other way.’ Answered the crane: ‘Think so? Am I your dear uncle? You want me to understand, I suppose, that I am your slave, who has to lift you up and carry you about with him, where you please! Now cast your eye on that heap of fish-bones at the root of yonder varana-tree. Just as I have eaten those fish, every one of them, just so will I devour you also!’
“‘Ah! those fishes got eaten through their own stupidity, answered the lobster, ‘but I am not going to let you kill me. On the contrary, it is you that I am going to destroy. For you, in your folly, have not seen that I have outwitted you. If we die, we both die together; for I will cut off this head of yours and cast it to the ground!’ So saying, he gave the crane’s neck a pinch with his claws as with a vise.
“Then gasping, and with tears trickling from his eyes, and trembling with the fear of death, the crane besought the lobster, saying: ‘O, my Lord! Indeed I did not intend to eat you. Grant me my life!’ ‘Very well! fly down and put me into the lake,’ replied the lobster. And the crane turned round and stepped down into the lake, to place the lobster on the mud at its edge. Then the lobster cut the crane’s neck through as clean as one would cut a lotus-stalk with a hunting-knife, and then entered the water!”
When the Teacher had finished this discourse, he added: “Not only is man outwitted in this way, but in other existences, too, by his own intrigues.”
Peace and Love, Jim
