The Crane and the Heron (Russian Fable)
The Crane and the Heron is an old Russian folktale. It’s an Aesopic “beast fable” with animal characters. I’m not sure exactly how old it is or who first wrote it down.
The Fable
A long time ago, there was a Crane who lived in the marsh. It was a quiet night, and he was feeling lonely, so he went to see the Heron that lived in the branches of a nearby tree.
The Crane said, “Dear Heron, I live all alone down here, and I think we would make a good pair. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
The Heron had been dreaming of someone with a taller neck and a larger nest, so she turned him down, saying, “No, Crane, I cannot marry you.” The Crane, hurt by the rejection, flew back to his nest.
After some time passed, the Heron thought, “Perhaps I was too hasty in my decision. The Crane is kind, and I am lonely too. I should accept his proposal.”
So the Heron flew to the Crane’s marsh and said, “Crane, I have changed my mind. I will marry you.”
But the Crane remembered how the Heron had rejected him. And besides, in truth, the Heron was getting a little old to be starting a family. He replied, “No, I have changed my mind. I do not want to marry you.” The Heron flew back to her home, furious.
Soon, there was another quiet night, and the Crane felt lonely again. He went back to the Heron to propose once more. The Heron was still angry, so she refused him.
And so it went, back and forth, until they both died bitter and alone.
The Moral
The moral of The Crane and the Heron is that pride and indecision can lead to missed opportunities and regret. Most people have been in a situation like this, where you don’t want something when you can have it, but then you change your mind when it stops being available. It’s easy to get lured in by people who play hard to get, but sometimes it’s best to appreciate what’s right in front of you.
The second part of the moral lesson is that you mustn’t cut off your nose to spite your face. At a certain point, both the Crane and the Heron realize they want to be together, but they both feel wronged, so they punish themselves to punish the other.
If you liked this fable, there’s a totally different fable about a heron that’s just as good. If you like fables about doomed romances, try The Scorpion and the Turtle. Or, if you want a fable with the exact opposite moral lesson as this one, try The Fox and the Grapes.
Juan Artola Miranda
I am Juan Artola Miranda, a fabulist living in the Mexican Caribbean. My friends know me by the name of my father's father, but that name grew into something bigger, my writing reaching tens of millions of readers. It was too strong for me to control. Artola Miranda is the name of my mother's mother. It's a better name for a fabulist.