The Lion and the Crane
A white crane, living in the Himavanta region, encounters a lion suffering from a bone lodged in his throat. The crane offers to help but is initially hesitant due to the lion's predatory nature. The lion reassures the crane that he will not harm him if he assists. The crane cleverly uses a stick to keep the lion's mouth open while he extracts the bone with his beak. Once freed, the lion recovers and later kills a buffalo. The crane, seeking acknowledgment for his help, perches above the lion and inquires about his reward. The lion responds dismissively, implying that the crane should be grateful to be alive after being in his mouth. The crane retorts with verses highlighting the lion's ingratitude and the futility of serving someone who does not reciprocate kindness. He concludes that it is better to distance oneself from ungrateful individuals. The narrative serves as a moral lesson on the nature of gratitude and the consequences of ingratitude, with the crane representing selflessness and the lion embodying betrayal. The story concludes with a reflection from the Buddha, identifying the lion as a traitor and the crane as himself, emphasizing the importance of recognizing true friendship and the dangers of associating with the ungrateful.
By Joseph Jacobs · First published 1894 · Genre: Fable, Fantasy, Allegory · 525 words
First lines
The Bodhisatta was at one time born in the region of Himavanta as a white crane; now Brahmadatta was at that time reigning in Benares. Now it chanced that as a lion was eating meat a bone stuck in his throat. The throat became swollen, he could not take food, his suffering was terrible. The crane seeing him, as he was perched on a tree looking for food, asked, "What ails thee, friend? " He told him why. "I could free thee from that bone, friend, but dare not enter thy mouth for fear thou mightest eat me. " "Don't be afraid, friend, I'll not eat thee; only save my life. " "Very well," says he, and caused him to lie down on his left side. But thinking to himself, "Who knows what this fellow will do," he placed a small stick upright between his two jaws that he could not close his mouth, and inserting his head inside his mouth struck one end of the bone with his beak. Whereupon the bone dropped and fell out. As soon as he had caused the bone to fall, he got out of the lion's mouth, striking the stick with his beak so that it fell out, and then settled on a branch. The lion gets well, and one day was eating a buffalo he had killed. The crane thinking "I will sound him," settled on a branch just over him, and in conversation spoke this first verse:
What this Textopian page supports
The Lion and the Crane is listed on Textopian as a fable by Joseph Jacobs, dated 1894 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Joseph Jacobs
- Date: 1894 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Fantasy, Allegory, Children's Literature, Mythology
- Length: 525 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
- How The Lion Became King by Oliver Herford
- How Sun Moon And Wind Went Out To Dinner by Joseph Jacobs
- Buckwheat by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Lambikin by Joseph Jacobs
- The Quickest Runners by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Gifted Ant by Oliver Herford
Genres
- Fable — The story conveys a moral lesson through anthropomorphized animals, typical of fables.
- Fantasy — The narrative features talking animals and a mythical setting, characteristic of fantasy literature.
- Allegory — The characters represent broader themes of gratitude and betrayal, functioning as an allegory for human behavior.
- Children's Literature — The simple narrative and moral lesson make it suitable for a young audience.
Tags
Folklore · Mythology · Fairy Tale · Children's Literature · Animal Story · Symbolism · Morality Tale · Teaching Tool · Cultural Significance · Social Commentary · Fantasy · Adventure