Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/130

114 eyes. At any rate, when the Crane went to take hold of him with his beak, he said: "You cannot carry me like that, for I should certainly fall."

The Crane told him not to fear, that he would be perfectly safe. But the Crab thought to himself: "If he once got hold of a fish, I doubt very much if he would really let it go into the pond. He shall carry me, but in such a way that I shall be safe." So he said:

"Friend Crane, you cannot hold me tight enough in your bill, so I will hold on to you with my claws, and you can carry me that way."

The Crane thought that would be all right, and so the other held on to his neck with his claws, and off they went.

They soon reached the spot where the Crane had eaten the fish, and the Crab saw that it was covered with fishbones.

"This is not the pond," said the Crab; "please take me to it at once."

"You will never see another pond," replied the Crane, who thought that it would be the easiest thing in the world to shake the