The heron and the crab

  The heron and the crab

Long time ago there lived a heron by the side

of a pond. It was a lazy creature and once

devised a plan to get supply of fish without

doing much work.

He went to the side of the

pond and put on a gloomy face without

attempting to catch any fish. The pond was

also inhabited by a crab, which was wise and

often helped the fish in the pond. On seeing

the gloomy heron, the crab asked her what the

matter was.

The heron said, "Alas! I am worried that the

pond is going to be soon devoid of any fish,

which are in turn my source of food. I

overheard a group of fishermen talking about

catching all the fish in this pond.

  

But I know of

a pond somewhat far away, where all the fish

will be safe. If the fishes are interested, i can

carry a few each day to the other pond where

they will be safe."

All the fish were eager to make use of the

heron in reaching the safer destination. So

everyday some of them volunteer to go with

the heron.

  

The heron took some fish each day

in the beak, and on reaching a large rock used

to eat all the fish and leave the bones of the

fish at the rock. This way, she was able to get

a continuous supply of fish at no effort at all.

In the end, the curiosity got the better of the

crab, and one day it volunteered to go with the

fish. When it got closer to the rock, it realized

the foul play the heron had been playing on

the poor fish.

Enraged, it tightened its claws

around the neck of the heron and snapped the

head of the heron off. The heron thus died a

selfish death. The crab crept back to the pond

and told all the fish about the lies the heron

had been telling.

Story moral: Excess of Greed is harmful.