The Grateful Crane

10 pages · 3 min · ages 5+

Based on: Japanese Folk Tale

Kenji walks through the cold snow. He sees something white and stuck. A big crane is in a trap. Her long legs are caught tight. Kenji feels very sorry for her. He moves slowly toward the bird.

Kenji opens the heavy metal trap. The crane is free at last. She flaps her big white wings. She circles the sky three times. Then she flies far, far away. Kenji smiles and goes back home. He is happy the bird is safe.

That night, a soft knock sounds. Kenji opens his wooden door. A young woman stands there. She wears a soft, white cloak. She asks to stay from the cold. Kenji lets her inside his home. They share a bowl of warm soup.

The woman’s name is Yuki. She wants to help Kenji. She asks for a weaving loom. Kenji finds a dusty old loom. Yuki prepares the thread for weaving. She is very kind and gentle. Kenji is glad for her company.

Yuki goes into the small room. She makes a very special rule. "Please do not watch me work." Kenji promises to keep his word. He hears the loom go click-clack. Soon, she brings out glowing cloth. The cloth is soft and beautiful.

Neighbors come to see the cloth. They ask how it is made. "Is it magic?" they ask Kenji. They tell him to peek inside. Kenji tells them he cannot look. But he starts to feel curious. His heart beats fast with wonder.

Kenji looks through a tiny hole. He sees a giant white crane. She uses her beak to weave. She uses a few white feathers. She looks very busy and happy. The feathers grow back very fast. Kenji gasps and pulls away quickly.

Yuki comes out of the room. She knows Kenji saw her secret. She is the crane from the snow. "I wanted to help you," she says. She is not angry with him. She smiles with a kind heart. She forgives him for his peek.

Yuki calls the neighbors to come. She shows them many green plants. "We can weave from these," she says. She teaches them to use fibers. No one needs feathers for cloth. The village learns a new skill. Everyone works together with great joy.

Yuki turns back into a crane. She flies into the winter sky. She visits Kenji every single year. She brings new seeds to plant. Kenji and the neighbors are kind. They always wait for her return. The crane and the village are friends.