The Farmer and the Cranes

The wheat was only just in the ground when the cranes came. Down they dropped on their long grey legs, and they walked along the rows, pulling up the seed. The farmer ran out swinging his sling. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Up flapped the cranes in a great cloud, and away they went.

They came back the next day, and the day after that, and every time the farmer ran out and swung his empty sling. This went on for a long time, until one crane began to watch it. "Look at that thing," she said. "It swings and it swings, and nothing ever comes out."

The next morning the farmer ran out as before. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Not one crane looked up. They stayed right where they were and went on eating.

The farmer stood very still. Then he walked down to the stream, and he came back with his pockets full of stones. He put one in his sling. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Crack! Stone after stone flew out, and crane after crane fell down among the wheat.

The cranes that were left rose up and screamed to each other as they flew. "Time to go! Off to Liliput, all of us! This man has stopped trying to scare us. Now he is showing us what he can really do!"