Week 2 Story: A Deep Lake and a Shallow Pool

NOTE: This story has been revised and added to my portfolio project here.

There were once two ponds or rather one beautiful, deep lake that was cool and bountiful all year long and one shallow pool that would nearly dry up every summer when the rains stopped.

In the shallow pool there lived many fish, and life was hard for them during the dry summers. Even though it wasn’t easy, every summer the fish managed to survive and grew stronger because of it.

Not far from the shallow pool was the deep lake, and along its banks beneath a shady mango tree there lived a conniving crane. There were plenty of fish and bugs to eat in and around the lake, and the crane was not hungry by any means. Now, the crane did not particularly like eating bugs and avoided them if he could. However the water was so deep the fish could easily hide from the crane, so he had to work very hard to catch the fish by surprise.

One summer the conniving crane happened upon the shallow pool when the water level had sunk very low. After seeing all the struggling fish, the crane thought of an idea.

The next day the crane came to the shallow pool and stuck his head right into the middle of all the fish and shared his proposal.

“I see all you brave fish struggling to survive in this perilous shallow puddle, and it breaks my heart. There is a beautiful, deep lake not far from here that is overflowing with bounty to be shared. There is so much more to life than to struggle. Wouldn’t you all like to live a life of leisure in the comfort of a bountiful lake that never dries up?”

The fish were initially terrified to see the head of a predator suddenly appear in their midst, but many fish were intrigued by the crane’s words. These fish felt like their annual summer struggle to survive was keeping them from a better life and the crane made them consider the possibility of a comfortable life all year long for the first time. They wanted to hear more.

The crane continued, “I would gladly carry each of you over to the deep lake were I live and you can live the rest of your lives in the cool shade of the mango trees.”

This excited the fish very much, but just then the clever crab that lived beneath the flat boulder at the deepest part of the pool crawled from beneath his rock and addressed the fish.

“Why would a crane whose favorite meal is fish care about the happiness of a pool full of fish? This cunning crane must be up to something!”

The fish that were enthralled by the crane’s promise were suddenly awakened to the threat whose sharp beak was bobbing in front of them and were again terrified. However, it was at this time that a brave old fish who had lived through more dry times than any other spoke up.

“I have a way to know if this crane is speaking the truth! I will go to this lake with the crane. If he is honest he will bring me back here, and I will share with you what I’ve seen.”

“But what if he is not honest?” a chorus of fish cried out from all around him.

“If the crane is not honest… I have lived a long life and have struggled very much. Either way I’ll be happy to have some rest.”

The clever crab continued to protest, but the fish were too taken by the bravery of the old fish and the possibility of paradise to hear his arguments. With that the brave old fish swam into the beak of the cunning crane, and off they flew.

It was not long before the brave old fish returned with unending praise for the beauty and bounty of the lake and for the crafty crane who carried him so gently there and back. When the old fish was done the other fish were bursting with excitement and could not wait for their chance to move to the lake.

The clever crab was still not convinced.

“We have struggled,” he bellowed, “in this shallow pool, this is true, but we have survived and grown stronger because of it. Even though the brave old fish speaks of bounty and comfort in the deep and shaded lake, what does he know of the dangers in those depths or in those trees? You see every place has its own struggles. So, will you swim blindly into the salivating mouth promising you an easy life, or will you continue to struggle here as we have for generations so that there can be more generations to come?”

The crab’s speech made many of the fish decide to stay, but still some wished to leave. Throughout the rest of the summer the crane would stop by the shallow pond every day and dip his open beak into the water. Every day a fish worn out from the daily struggle would swim full of hope into the cranes beak and be carried away to meet their fate below the mango trees.

When the summer finally ended and the clever crab and all the strong willed fish that had made it through the dry season regained their strength, they grew curious about the fate of those that had trusted the crane. Being the only one able to walk on land the crab was volunteered to travel to the lake and report back on the status of the others.

The crab agreed and made his way to the beautiful, deep lake where he asked the first fish he found about all the new fish the conniving crane had been dropping off all summer. The strange fish replied, “I didn’t see any new fish, but it’s a very big lake. Although I have noticed that lazy crane has been looking plump.”

By: Ryan Piper

Author's Note:

My story "A Deep Lake and a Shallow Pool" is a retelling of "The Cunning Crane and the Crab." In the original story a crane convinces the fish in a small pool that is swelteringly hot in the summer sun to allow him to carry each of them to a large shaded lake where they can live more comfortably. To test the crane an old one eyed fish agrees to be carried to the lake and back which the crane does. However once the fish trust the crane, instead of carrying the fish to the lake he kills and eats them. This continues until only a crab is left in the pool. The crab then outsmarts the crane by holding onto the crane's neck with his claw. When the crane tries to betray the crab the crab threatens the crane with the claw around his neck, and the crane flies the crab safely to the lake where the crab kills the crane any way.

I chose to focus my story on how the fish were willing to go against their better judgement and the crab's advice and trust the crane because they were so desperate for the crane's promise to be true.

Bibliography. "The Cunning Crane and the Crab" from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W.H.D. Rouse. Web source.

Image 1: Illustration by W. Robinson.

Image 2: Grey Crowned Crane Africa Canes Bird Tanzania, Max Pixel.