The Crab and the Fish(story)

 

#A Lesson from the Dry Pond

Once upon a time, hidden deep within the heart of a big forest 🌳, there was a sanctuary of nature. Near that forest, there was a small pond 💧 surrounded by soft reeds and colorful wildflowers. In that pond lived many fish 🐟🐠 and a sturdy, observant crab 🦀. They lived a peaceful life, swimming through the cool water and hiding under the lily pads. The fish and the crab were good friends 😊🤝, spending their days sharing stories of the underwater world.

However, as the months turned, the seasons shifted, and a harsh summer began 🌞. The sun beat down without mercy, and the water in the pond slowly started drying up 💦. Day by day, the shoreline grew wider and the water grew shallower. All the fish were scared 😰, feeling the heat rise in their shrinking home. They asked each other with trembling fins, “If the water in this pond dries up completely, what will we do?” 🤔💭

At that time, a hungry crane 🦩 was watching everything from far away. 👀 He saw the fish’s panic and saw an opportunity for an easy feast. Two days later, the crane came to the pond where the fish lived 🦩. He stood on one leg, looking very kind and helpful. The crane said loudly so the fish could hear, “Why is there so little water in this pond? Outside the forest, there is another pond with plenty of water. I go there to drink water and enjoy the deep, cool currents.” 🌊🦩 Saying this, the crane flew away 🦩, leaving the fish with a glimmer of hope.

Hearing this, the fish were overjoyed. They said, “If we all go to that pond, we do not need to worry about water anymore!” 🐟😊 Their friend, the crab, came to the pond, and the fish told the crab about their decision to move 🦀🗣️. But the crab 🦀 was naturally careful and became suspicious 🤔. He didn't trust the crane's sudden kindness. The crab told the fish, “No, friends. Let us all stay in this pond. We know this place, and we don't know the crane.” 🦀✋

One fish, desperate for deep water, replied, “You can live on land and in water. For you, it doesn’t matter if there is water or not 💧. But we live only in water! We are all going to that pond.” 🐟 Two days later, the crane came again 🦩. All the fish went to the crane and asked, “Will you take us to the pond outside the forest?” 🐟🦩 The crane replied with a hidden glimmer in his eye 🦩, “Alright. Every day, I will take five fish and leave them there. Be ready to leave tomorrow.” 🐟🧳

The crab listened to everything and became even more suspicious 🦀🤨. The next day, the fish were ready to leave the pond 🐟🧳. The crab again told the fish, “Friends, listen to me. I don’t think what the crane says is true. Let us stay in this pond.” 🙄 But the fish refused to listen, blinded by the promise of more water. The crane came 🦩, and the first five fish were ready 🧳. The crane took the five fish in its beak and flew away ✈️.

It continued doing this every day, and the crane returned with a satisfied look each time. Finally, only five fish were left in the pond 🐟. The crab once again said, “Friends, please listen to me. Let us stay in this pond.” 🙇‍♀️ But the fish did not listen 🚫🐟. When the crane arrived, the last five fish were also ready to go 🧳. Then the crab, wanting to see the truth for himself, asked the crane, “Will you take me to that pond too?” 🦀🦩 The crane, thinking he would have a different kind of meal, agreed 🤝🦩.

The next day, the crab went with the crane 🦀✈️🦩. He held onto the crane's feathers as they soared over the trees. But when they reached the destination, the crab was shocked 😨. There was no pond — only dry land and sharp rocks 🌵💧. The crab asked the crane, “You brought my friends here saying there was a pond, right?” 😕

The crane laughed a wicked laugh and replied, “I lied to all of you. It is difficult for me to go fishing every day. Some days I don’t get any fish 🎣. That’s when I saw your pond. Then I made a plan. I told you there was another pond 💭. The foolish fish believed me. I used that to my advantage. I ate your friends 🍽️. Look over there — your friends. They were all tasty.” 😋🐟 He pointed to a pile of bones on a large flat rock. “Do you know what they said before I ate them? ‘We should have listened to our crab friend.’ 🦀💬 Now I am going to eat you too.” 😈🍴

The crane laughed 😆 and lunged forward. But the crab was prepared. The crab got angry 😡🔥. As the crane came near, the crab grabbed the crane’s neck with his strong pincers and squeezed tightly 🦀✊. The crane screamed in pain 😱, flapping his wings wildly. The tables had turned. Realizing he was about to die, the crane begged the crab for forgiveness 🙏.

The crab, being merciful but firm, let go 👐. The crane, terrified, flew away 🦩 as fast as he could, never to return. The crab went to the place where its friends had died and felt very sad 😢. He realized that caution had saved his life, but he had lost his community. Then the crab returned to their old pond 💧, hoping the rains would soon return.

                                              - Hemapriya. V