Fables of Bidpai, Reading Notes, Part B

(The Crane and the Fish)

My favorite stories in this second reading of Fables of Bidpai are " The Hare, the Fox and the Wolf," and "The Crane and the Crab." The Hare, the Fox and the Wolf begin when the Wolf wants to eat the Hare, however the Hare wanting to live tells the Wolf there is a very plump, tasty fox not far from them. So the Hare takes the Wolf to the Fox's den. The Fox saw them coming so when the Hare came inside and asked if he could bring a friend, the Fox said basically said sure but let me clean first. While cleaning the fox recovered a pit he had dug so when the Hare and Wolf walked inside they fell into the pit. Then the Wolf ate the Hare, and the Fox got away. The second story is called the Crane and the Crab. There was a very old Crane, so old that she couldn't get her own fish anymore. So in order to ensure her survival she told a crab that there were fisherman who were going to catch all the fish and leave the pond empty. The Crab went and told all the fish this, and the fish came swimming to the Crane for advice. The Crane said that she could take them to an enchanted pool, where the water is crystal clear and they could never want for food. But she could only take 3 or 4 fish a day. So everyday the Crane took some fish to the "enchanted pool" but the minute she was out of site she devoured the fish. Eventually the Crab wanted to go, so the Crane said yes because she wanted him out of the way. She told him to wrap his claws around her neck, and took off flying. The crab saw the fish bones at the Crane's hunting spot and knew he had been tricked so he tightened his claws and strangled her. 

Bibliography: The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton link to reading