The Crane’s Gratitude

Once upon a time, in a small village in Japan, there lived a kind-hearted farmer named Yasu. One day, while working in his fields, he noticed a crane that had been injured and could not fly. Feeling sorry for the bird, Yasu took it home and nursed it back to health.
Days turned into weeks, and the crane finally regained its strength. One evening, as Yasu was sitting outside his house, he saw the crane fly away into the sky. He felt happy that he could help the bird, but he didn’t think much of it after that.
A few days later, Yasu received a surprise visitor. It was the crane he had rescued, but this time, the bird had transformed into a beautiful woman. She introduced herself as a fairy and thanked Yasu for his kindness. She explained that she had been cursed and could only be freed if someone showed her true kindness.
The fairy then offered to repay Yasu’s kindness by weaving the most beautiful cloth he had ever seen. Yasu was amazed and grateful for her offer and accepted it. The fairy worked tirelessly, day and night, and soon, she presented Yasu with a bolt of cloth that was indeed the most beautiful he had ever seen.
Yasu was overjoyed and offered to pay the fairy for her work. But the fairy refused and asked Yasu to promise that he would never tell anyone about her true identity. Yasu agreed and promised to keep her secret.
Years passed, and Yasu became famous for his beautiful cloth. People came from far and wide to buy his cloth, and he became very wealthy. But he never forgot the fairy’s kindness and continued to be kind to everyone he met.
One day, a greedy merchant came to Yasu’s village and offered him a large sum of money for his cloth. Yasu refused, knowing that the merchant would exploit his workers and pay them very little. The merchant became angry and threatened to ruin Yasu’s business.
That night, the fairy visited Yasu in his dreams and told him to weave a special cloth that would expose the merchant’s true intentions. Yasu followed the fairy’s instructions and wove the cloth, which revealed the merchant’s greed and dishonesty.
The people of the village were shocked and angry at the merchant, and he was forced to leave. Yasu’s reputation for honesty and kindness grew even more, and he became known as the most respected man in the village.
From that day

Moral

The morals or lessons of the story “The Crane’s Gratitude” are:
1. Kindness is always rewarded: The story teaches us that being kind and compassionate towards others can lead to unexpected rewards and blessings.
2. Gratitude is powerful: The crane’s gratitude towards the old man who saved its life was so strong that it went out of its way to repay him. This shows us the power of gratitude and how it can inspire us to do good.
3. Honesty is important: The old man was honest and did not take advantage of the crane’s generosity. This teaches us the importance of honesty and integrity in all our dealings.
4. Trust is essential: The crane trusted the old man enough to reveal its true form and intentions. This shows us the importance of building trust in our relationships with others.
5. Actions speak louder than words: The crane’s actions showed its gratitude more than any words could. This teaches us that our actions have a greater impact than our words.

Origin of the Story: Japan.