The Crane and the Heron

A crane and a heron lived in a sunlit marsh. Each had a little house made of reeds on a different bank of the channel. In the mornings the birds caught fish,…

A crane and a heron lived in a sunlit marsh. Each had a little house made of reeds on a different bank of the channel. In the mornings the birds caught fish, and in the evenings they looked at each other across the quiet water. They wanted to get to know each other better, but neither dared to start a conversation.

One day the crane realized that he was tired of living without friendly conversation. He set off for the heron's home along a long, winding path among the golden reeds. He walked carefully, stepping around the wet hummocks, and thought along the way about how to explain what he wanted without hurting his neighbor's feelings.

At the reed house, the crane bowed politely and suggested that he and the heron live together. The heron thought for a moment, then answered that she was not ready to make such a decision yet. The crane accepted her answer and went home. When he disappeared behind the reeds, the heron realized that she had not had time to get to know him properly.

The next day, the heron set off across the marsh herself. She came to the crane's house and said that she would like to talk more often. Now the crane had doubts: he still remembered the previous day's refusal and asked for time to think it over. The heron did not argue and calmly returned home.

After that, the crane and the heron visited each other several times, but each time their thoughts and wishes did not line up. Finally, they met by the water at sunset and agreed not to rush themselves or each other. They kept their homes on their original banks, and in the evenings they began taking walks together along the marsh path. In this way, they learned to listen to and respect each other's answers.