Fable - The Crane and the Clan

The Crane and the Clan
(Favourite stories from Chinese)

Chao was going to attack Yen. When the king of Yen heard about it, he sent for his senior officers.

“Can you tell me what to do?” he asked them.

Su Tai said, “I have a plan. Let me go and speak to the king of Chao,” The king of Yen agreed.

When Su Tai arrived at Chao, he saw the king. Your Majesty,” he said, “When I was coming here this morning, I passed the River Yi. There I saw a clam lying in the sun. Suddenly, a crane came along and tried to open its shell and eat it up. The clam caught the crane’s beak in it shell. The crane tried to free itself but was unable to do so.”

“ ‘You can try as hard as you like,’ the clam said, ‘but you cannot escape.”

“ ‘Unless you let me go,’ the crane answered, ‘you will not be able to return to the river.’”

“Neither of them wanted to give way. Not long afterwards, a fisherman passed by. He stopped and caught them both without any trouble.”

The king of Chao asked Su Tai, “What is the meaning of this story?”

“Your Majesty,” Su Tai replied, “if Chao and Yen fight each other they: will both become weak. there are many countries around us waiting to be the fisherman. I hope Your Majesty will think twice before doing anything.”

“Very well,” the King replied. Nothing more was heard after that of Chao attacking Yen.

Source: Favourite stories from Chinese by Leon Comber

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