The Wolf and the Crane

The story

Once, at the edge of a forest, a wolf caught a plump piece of prey and ate it so fast and so greedily that he swallowed even the bones. All at once a sharp bone stuck fast in his throat, and he sank down in pain, groaning low in his chest, clawing at his own neck though his paws could never reach it.

He hurried along the forest path, begging every creature he passed for help. But a rabbit dove straight into her burrow, a deer bounded away at the sound of his steps, and even the little birds flew high into the branches. No one wanted to come near a wolf who was snarling and moaning with pain.

As evening drew near, he came to a reed-lined pond and saw a tall white crane wading in the shallow water, her neck long and slender, her bill thin and pointed. The wolf bent low and begged, “Good crane, your neck is long enough to reach where mine cannot. Please put your head into my mouth and pull out this bone. If you save me, I promise I will reward you well.”

The crane looked at the wolf’s wide-open mouth, at the two rows of teeth gleaming inside, and she trembled. To put her head into such a mouth seemed a fearful thing to do. But the wolf kept groaning in misery and promising again and again, and nearby a few little snails sat quietly on the stones, as if watching to see what she would do. At last she made up her mind and stepped carefully closer.

Holding her breath, the crane stretched out her long white neck and reached her slender bill deep into the wolf’s throat. Gently she gripped the bone and drew it out, little by little, while the wolf stood frozen with his paws braced hard against the muddy bank, not daring to move an inch.

The moment the bone came free, the wolf let out a long, comfortable sigh, and the pain melted from his face. The crane stepped back to a safe distance and politely asked for the reward he had promised. But the wolf only bared his teeth and laughed. “Reward? You put your head inside a wolf’s mouth and pulled it out again whole — is that not reward enough?” And he turned and walked away without another word.

The crane, angry and hurt, spread her wings and flew off into the darkening sky. The still pond below reflected the fading light, as if it too were speaking a quiet truth: kindness is a fine thing to give, but helping someone who feels no gratitude often earns nothing more than a cold laugh.