The Grateful Crane

Long, long ago, there was a good and honest man, whose name was Yohyo. He lived in a small village and worked as a woodcutter.

One cold day in winter, when deep snow lay on the ground, Yohyo was returning home from his work in the forest. Over his shoulder he carrid a sack of wood, and as it was near evening and it was getting very cold, he hurried on across the snow-coverd fields. Suddenly he saw something black lying in the snow-something that moved and cried. He stopped, and putting down his sack, he went to see what it was. As he got near, the object in the snow cried again, and he could see that it was a crane-a large and beautiful bird with long legs.

When the crane saw Yohyo coming closer, it struggled to rise and he could see that one of its wings was hurt.

"You pour thing!" he cried. "Come, let me help you. If you stay out here in the snow, you will die."

The crane stopped struggling and let Yohyo pick it up. Gently and carefully, he stroked the crane's feathers, and carrying it under one arm, he set off for home again.

Yohyo was a kind man with a gentle heart and he felt sorry for the beautiful crane. He looked after it until it was well again, and then he set it free to fly off into the sky.

One night, afew days later, Yohyo heard someone knocking ant the door. When he opened the door, he found a women standing in the snow. By the light of his lamp, Yohyo could see that she was young and beautiful, and shaking with cold. Yohyo stared at her in surprise.

"I have lost my way in the snow," she said, in a sweet and gentle voice. "My I come into your house and stay for the night?"

"Yes, yes, of course! Come in at once, out of the snow," cried Yohyo.

He build up the fire again with fresh wood, and brought the young woman rice an hot soup. Her name was Otsu and she was as king and gentle as Yohyo homself.

The next day there was a storm and so Otsu stayed on at the house and Yohyo grew to love her. Otsu, also, loved him for his gentle heart, and soon they were married.

Yohyo and Otsu were happy together, although Yohyo earned only a little money and they were very poor. One night, just before New Year' Eve, they were sitting together as usual, when Otsu noticed that her husband was worrying about something.

"My dear husband," she said. "What are you worrying about? Please tell me."

"Well…" sighed Yohyo. "It is nearly New Year' Eve, but I cannot make any preparation for the feast because I have no money. I have not even enough money to buy rice and cakes. How I wish I had some money…"

Otsu listened to him silently.

"Yohyo, I will weave for you," she said. "You can take the cloth that I weave and sell it at the market to earn some money."

"But, please do not look into the other room, while I am working, promise me that you will not look in?"

Yohyo promised, and Otsu went into the other room and began to weave some cloth. She was working for hours ang Yohyo get tired of waiting, but he was patient. At last Otsu came out with a piece of beautiful cloth in her hands. It was the most beautiful cloth that Yohyo had ever seen.

The next morning he set off to the market in the town, and sold the piece of cloth for a lot of money. Yohyo had never had so much money in his life. He was very excited and he bought many things with it. Soon, in his excitement, he had spent all the money, so he went home and asked Otsu to weave another piece of cloth. So greedy did he become, that he did not notice that the more she worked, the thinner Otsu became. However, as she loved Yoho very much, she wove new cloth for him every time he asked for it.

One day Yohyo asked for some cloth once again, and Otsu said, as usual, "I will weave for you but remember your promise-don't look into the other room while I am working."

Yohyo promised and sat down to wait but he soon got tierd of waiting for her. He could hear the sound of weaving, and he began to ask himself why he could not look in at Otsu, while she was working. Once he began to have doubts he could not stop himself from looking in.

He thought, "Otsu won't be angry with me if I look in only for a moment."

Finally, he could wait no longer. He crept to the entrance of the other room and looked in. Otsu was not there at all! Instead, he saw a very thin crane which wass pulling off its feathers and weaving them into the cloth. Yohyo recognised it as the very same crane whose life he saved so many months ago.

He crept away again and sat thinking quietly. He felt very anxious-what would Otsu do, now that he knew her secret?

At last the sound of weaving stopped, and Otsu came out of the room with two pieces of cloth in her hands.

"Yohyo," she said, sadly. "You have broken your promise to me. Now that you know that I am a crane, I cannot stay here any longer. Take these pieces of cloth, sell one, and keep the other. Perhaps it will remind you of me."

"Please Otsu, don't leave me," cried Yohyo. "How can I manage to live without you? I love you!"

But Otsu only smiled gently and shook her head. 

"No, Yohyo," she said."I came here to reply you for your kindness to me, and I stayed for love of your gentle heart. But since I have been weaving for you, you have changed and become greedy and hard."

"I must go, goodbye."

"Don't go, please, Otsu!" cried poor Yohyo. "Don't leave me alone! I won't tell your secret. Iwon't ask you for any more cloth. Don't go!"

Otsu just smiled sadly again and waving goodbye, she stepped out of the door. At once she changed into a crane and opening her beautiful wings, she flew up into the sky. As Yohyo watched in despair, she rose higher and higher into the sky, until she could be seen no more. 

Then there was only the sound of Yohyo' voice calling, "Otsu! Otsu!…"