The Sandpiper and the Crane

Two brothers, a sandpiper and a crane, lived at the edge of a wide meadow. One day at dawn, they left their home and saw the tall grass shimmering silver in the…

Two brothers, a sandpiper and a crane, lived at the edge of a wide meadow. One day at dawn, they left their home and saw the tall grass shimmering silver in the gentle breeze. “Autumn will be here soon,” said the crane. “Let's gather some sweet-smelling hay for warm bedding.” The sandpiper agreed, and the brothers chose a dry spot in the middle of the field.

The crane walked ahead and carefully cut the grass with a small sickle, while the sandpiper gathered it into neat green rows. They took their time so they would not crush the wildflowers or disturb the nests in the grass. By the time the sun rose above the birch trees, the brothers had left a narrow, evenly cut strip behind them.

During the day, the sandpiper and the crane turned the grass with wooden rakes, letting the warm sun reach it. The wind swept across the meadow and helped dry every blade. The brothers listened to the grasshoppers chirping, rested beside the stream, and then went back to work. Soon the fresh grass became light, golden, and wonderfully fragrant.

As evening drew near, the brothers began piling the hay into a little stack. The crane passed over large bundles, while the sandpiper picked up stray stems and tidied the edges. The stack grew little by little: first it was shorter than the sandpiper, then it reached his height, and at last it rose almost as high as the crane's wing. The brothers placed a wreath of daisies right on top.

The sun sank toward the forest, and the sandpiper and the crane sat down beside their haystack. They thought back over the whole day, but decided to tell it from the end: first the daisies, then the golden hay, the cool stream, and the morning grass. Their little story looped back to where it had begun. “Shall we tell it again, from the very beginning this time?” asked the sandpiper. The brothers laughed, and over the quiet meadow the story began again.