The Cranes

There once was a young boy named Advi. He was good at school and well behaved. Advi did not have very many friends. He did not mind not having friends to talk and play with. He kept to himself most of the time and enjoyed time by himself. His favorite pastime was to explore nature.

Advi lived in the Himalayas with his family. Often he would go hiking or visit the nearby lakes. He enjoyed feeling high above the town he lived in. There were crisp glacier lakes nearby. They were too cold to swim in, but Advi would just enjoy the view.

One day Advi decided to go for a hike. He wanted to go to the nearby mountain so he could get home before it got too late. He reached the top of the peak and looked over the town. Advi thought to himself, "It is nice to avoid the people sometimes... but... I wish I had a friend to share this with."

Just as he thought he wanted a friend two cranes flew next to him. This was strange because cranes do not live in the Himalayas. Before Advi could question it, the cranes asked him if he wanted to go explore a new cave they found. Stunned by the talking cranes he asked, "Where is it and how would we get there?"

The cranes said, "The cave is in a nearby mountain that is on the other side of a neighboring town. We would have to fly there."

Advi laughed at the idea of him flying. "How could I fly? I don't have wings."

The cranes got an idea! They flew down the mountain to a tree. They broke off a heavy branch and brought it back to where Advi was on top of the mountain. "We will each hold one end of this stick in our beaks and you have to hold onto the stick with your hands. Then we will all take flight and explore the new cave," said one of the cranes. Advi agreed even though it seemed a little dangerous to fly through the air holding onto a stick that will be carried by birds. He decided to go with them anyways. He liked the idea of going on an adventure with companions.

They took flight! They flew high above the town. Advi had never felt such adrenaline before. They landed at the new mountain. They hiked to the new cave. It wasn't very far. When they reached the cave Advi was excited. They explored all day until they had to go back home.

So the cranes took him back home. Advi was so happy to have these two cranes as his new friends. They made this a weekly tradition. The cranes would come and pick him up and they would go on an adventure. The cranes became Advi's friends and they shared many more adventures together.

Bibliography-Twenty Jātaka tales, retold by Noor Inayat,

Author's Note- I took inspiration from Twenty Jātaka Tales- The Tortoise and the Geese. In the ancient Buddhist version, the birds are hamsas. They are sometimes translated goose or swan. In the original story the geese take the tortoise away to stay with them. The tortoise couldn't hold on to the stick that the geese carried in their beaks. He yelled at the people below him who were laughing at him. The tortoise fell into a king's court. The story ended with the king being taught a lesson: "Bad things happen to those who don't bite their tongue." This had to do with the tortoise falling because he yelled at kids who were teasing him and to yell he had to open his mouth. The people of the court used that to teach the king to watch what he says.

I strayed from this story a lot. I just wanted to incorporated birds helping something that can't fly, like the boy. I wanted to make it a story about a lonely kid who gained friends. I wrote a story last week as a children's story. I liked that a lot. So for this week I wanted to stick with that. I kept the sentences short and simple. Kind of like if I was telling this story to one of my little nephews.

Link to the original story.

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