81. THE CRUEL CRANE
108 Buddhist Parables
One tailor, who used to make robes for the monks, often cheated his customers and prided himself on being smarter than other men. Once he entered into an important business transaction with a stranger and was cheated himself suffering a heavy loss.
On hearing this, the Blessed One said, “This is not an isolated incident in the greedy tailor’s fate. In his other incarnations he suffered similar losses. By trying to dupe others he ultimately ruined himself. The 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. When a big carp decided to take the risk for the sake of the others, the crane carried him to a beautiful lake and brought him back in safety. Then the fishes gained confidence in the crane. Of course, the crane took them one by one out of the pond and ate them on a tall varana-tree.
“There was also a lobster in the pond. The crane, wanting to eat him too, 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 can drop me if you carry me like that. I will not go with you!’ replied the lobster. ‘Do not fear,’ rejoined the crane, ‘I shall hold you quite tight all the way.’
“Then the lobster thought, ‘If this crane once gets hold of a fish, he will certainly never let him go in a lake! Now if he really puts me into the lake, it will be splendid; but if he does not, then I will cut his throat and kill him!’ So he said to the crane, ‘You will not be able to hold me tight enough; but we lobsters have a famous grip. If you let me catch hold of you around 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, go!’ The crane took him, 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, ‘Am I your dear uncle? You wanted me to understand, I suppose, that I am your slave, who has to lift you up and carry you! Now cast your eye upon that heap of fish-bones at the root of the varana-tree. Just as I have eaten those fish, every one of them, just so will I devour you also!’
“The lobster then exclaimed, ‘Ah! Those fishes got eaten through their own stupidity, 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. We both die together; for I will cut off this head of yours and cast it to the ground!’ Thus saying, he gave the crane’s neck a pinch with his claws.
“Then gasping and trembling with the fear of death, the crane besought the lobster, saying, ‘O, my friend! 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, and swam away.”
The Buddha had finished this discourse, saying, “Not only now was this man outwitted by his own intrigues, but also in other existences.”
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All parables in printed book format: 108 Buddhist Parables and Stories
