One day, when the sun was hiding behind some fluffy white clouds, a beautiful bird looked down from the sky as he searched for breakfast. He spread his wings as far as he could, rode the morning breezes and hoped for something good to eat.
Just then the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds and the beautiful bird saw the sun's rays pointing down to a lovely pool of water. Now, in that water swam some fishes--little, gold-colored fishes. The pool was really a pretty fountain pond and the pond was home to the fishes..
How fine, the bird thought. Now I'll be able to fix the hungry feeling inside of me. So, he floated down using his brilliant wide wings, landed on the edge of the pond and began to look for the little swimmers.
Watching from high above in a tall pine tree sat a Magpie. Now, it is said that Mapgies are quite smart about many things. They sometimes talk with each other in their very interesting crackling ways and tell each other stories and such. This Magpie knew that the big bird was a Crane from its very wide wings and very long legs. She also knew the Crane loved the taste of fishes.
Well, this won't do, the Magpie thought. So in order to send the Crane away to find its breakfast somewhere else, the Magpie flew past the sun, causing a shadow to fall on the pond. The Crane saw the dark shadow and thought someone was near. He lifted off from the pond's edge and flew high into the sky overhead, flapping his lovely big wings and wondering what he should do.
After a bit, the Crane became quite tired of flying around overhead, so he decided to drop down into the Magpie's tree nearby. He perched his whole body on a nice big limb. Maybe he would watch the pond for awhile and then perhaps he would go back for a tasty breakfast. He hadn't quite decided.
As the Crane rested his great long legs, the Magpie dropped down and hopped around gingerly on nearby branches.
"Ahem, sir. I think you should not waste your time here," suggested the Magpie in her best crackling manner.
"Hmmm" mumbled the Crane, while he tried to think of somethng interesting to say. "Really, you say I shouldn't eat my breakfast here today?"
"Yes, that is the meaning of my suggestion. The fishes in the little pond down there bring great joy to the people who placed them there. It would be a time of great sorrow if the people could not watch their pretty golden fishes swimming happily among the lily pads.
"Now, if it is a little snack you need at the moment, I'm thinking you might fly over the house and look onto the people's terrace. You'll see that the man who lives there likes birds and he leaves food for the many flying creatures that come down and help themselves. Go there, please. Eat what you find and leave the little golden fishes to live peacefully where they belong."
"Hmmm," mumbled the Crane. "I suppose I could do that. Then, maybe later I could find a more suitable snack in the river, over there." The Crane pointed with one of his very long wing feathers toward the river, which was not too far away.
"How very excellent! You are a most agreeable Crane," crackled the Magpie. "You'll not be sorry."
Just then the clouds overhead parted, leaving the sun's rays to warm the pond and to light the Crane's way to the people's terrace. The Magpie remained perched high in the tree, crackling softly to herself and feeling quite wonderful.
The End
