The Clever Crab and the Deceptive Crane - Panchatantra stories

In a jungle, there was a wise old crane living near a large lake. The crane was too old to catch fish and insects for food. Unable to bear hunger, the crane stood by the lake and began crying. A crab passing by noticed this and asked the crane why it wasn't hunting.

The crane sadly explained that it had eaten too many fish and insects in the past and now wanted to fast until it died. It felt guilty and had decided not to harm any more creatures. The crab was curious about the crane's change in behavior.

The crane then shared a worrying prediction it had heard from astrologers: there would be no rain for twelve years due to an unfortunate alignment of planets. This would cause the lake to dry up, leading to the death of all the creatures living there. The crane was concerned about their fate.

The crab asked if there was any way to save everyone. The crane revealed that creatures from other lakes were migrating to bigger lakes to survive. The crab spread the news to all the lake's inhabitants, and they approached the crane for help.

The crane offered to take them to a distant lake with plenty of water and lotus flowers. The creatures trusted the crane and agreed to be ferried. However, the crane betrayed their trust. Instead of taking them to safety, it tricked and ate them one by one, except for the crab.

One day, the crab asked the crane to take it to the distant lake as well. Tired of eating fish, the crane agreed. On the way, the crab saw the bones of the eaten creatures and realized the crane's deceit. The crab quickly killed the crane to save itself.

The crab returned to its friends and revealed the crane's true intentions. They all learned to be cautious and not trust blindly. The crow couple later sought help from a jackal to save their offspring from a cobra. The jackal advised them to use their cleverness to outwit the cobra and the king's men.

This story teaches us that wisdom is stronger than physical strength. 

Moral of the Story
wisdom is stronger than physical strength.