Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a pond where many fish and crabs lived. Near the pond, a stork made its home. Every day, the stork would catch and eat the fish from the pond. Over time, the pond began to dry up, making it easier for the stork to hunt. The fish, in distress, started discussing amongst themselves, worried about their fate once the water completely dried up. “Where will we go? What will we do?” they lamented.
The stork, overhearing their conversation, came up with a cunning plan. Approaching the fish, the stork said, “Don’t worry, dear friends. I will save you all! I know of another pond nearby, full of water. I can take you there safely, one by one. You just have to trust me.”
The fish, desperate for a solution, asked, “But how can we come with you? We can only swim, not walk!”
The stork replied, “You can ride on my back, and I will carry each of you to the new pond.”
The fish, seeing no other choice, agreed happily. One by one, they climbed onto the stork’s back. However, the stork had no intention of saving them. Each time it flew a short distance, it would stop, devour the fish, and return for another. The stork continued this until it had eaten most of the fish. After its feast, the stork rested on a rock, satisfied with its clever trick.
Finally, only a single crab remained in the pond. The crab approached the stork and said, “Can you take me to the new pond too? I don’t want to be left behind.”
The stork, delighted with the thought of one last meal, agreed. “Of course! Climb onto my back, and I’ll take you there.”
The crab, being cautious, grabbed onto the stork’s neck with its claws as they set off. As they flew, the crab noticed something strange: fish bones scattered on the ground below. Realizing the stork’s deceit, the crab thought quickly. “Dear stork,” the crab said calmly, “I’ve come with you without telling my friends. Let me go back and bring them too. Then, you can carry all of us to the new pond.”
The stork, blinded by greed, agreed and started flying back towards the pond. However, before they could reach the pond, the crab tightened its grip on the stork’s neck and, with all its strength, crushed it. The stork, unable to fight back, fell to the ground, lifeless.
The crab, now free, returned to the pond and saved its fellow crabs. Though the fish could not be saved, the crab felt relieved to have escaped and learned an important lesson: greed and deception will ultimately lead to one’s downfall. It’s likely that the stork, in its final moments, realized the consequences of its actions.