Aesop
|
Greece

The Farmer and The Stork

A farmer catches a stork with cranes eating his crops, ignores the stork's pleas, and punishes it with the cranes.
Justice
Responsibility
Consequences
Aesop's Fables - The Farmer and The Stork
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, in a distant countryside, there lived a farmer who was troubled by the cranes that came to his fields every day. These cranes would eat the seeds he had sown, which made it difficult for him to grow crops and provide for his family.

To deal with this problem, the farmer devised a clever plan. He set a trap in his field, hoping to catch the cranes and put an end to their mischief. One day, as the cranes arrived to feast on the seeds, they fell into the farmer's trap, just as he had hoped.

However, along with the cranes, the trap had also caught a stork who had been standing nearby. The stork pleaded with the farmer to let him go, saying, "Please, kind sir, have mercy on me! I am not one of those mischievous cranes that have been eating your seeds. I am a stork, a harmless and innocent bird. I do not deserve to be punished like them!"

The farmer listened to the stork's pleas but was not swayed. He replied, "You may claim to be an innocent stork, but you were caught in the company of the cranes, who have caused me much trouble. Whether you are innocent or not, you must share their fate."

And with that, the farmer carried out his punishment, disregarding the stork's pleas for mercy.

Once upon a time, in a picture-perfect countryside—imagine cows mooing and sheep baaing—there was a farmer. This guy was having a really tough time, all thanks to some sneaky cranes. Yep, cranes! They'd come in like they were at a free candy store and gobble up all his seeds. Imagine someone taking all your toys and never giving any back.

The farmer said, "Alright, I’ve had enough! Time to make a really cool trap!" So he built a clever trap right in his field, kinda like a big birdie net. "This will catch 'em for sure," he thought, rubbing his hands together.

And guess what? The cranes swooped in for their snack and—Gotcha!—they were stuck. But listen to this, the trap also caught a stork who was just standing there, minding his own business.

The stork was super worried. "Hey, you've got the wrong guy! I’m not a seed-eater; I'm a good bird. Maybe you need to learn your birds a bit better!"

The farmer put his hands on his hips. "Hmm, you say you’re not with them, but you were standing right there. Ever heard of 'You are who you hang out with?' And you've got some munchy friends!"

The stork blinked big stork eyes, "But I was just here, enjoying the view! Can’t a bird have some alone time without getting into trouble?"

The farmer shook his head, "Nope, sorry. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong birds. That’s kinda like being at a birthday party and standing too close to the broken pinata."

And so, the farmer did what he felt he had to do. Yup, it was a bumpy ride for the stork, but that's what happens when you're near folks who are up to no good.

A farmer had a field, oh so grand,
With seeds he'd sown, to feed his land.
But cranes flew in, each day anew,
Eating the seeds before they grew.

The farmer thought, "I must take a stand,
I'll set a trap to guard my land!"
He made his plan, a trap quite sly,
To catch those cranes that flew nearby.

One sunny day, the cranes did stray,
Into the trap, they couldn't get away.
But oh, what's this? A stork in sight,
Caught in the trap, oh what a plight!

"Kind sir," said Stork, "please hear my plea,
I'm not a crane, just set me free!
I eat no seeds, do nothing wrong,
In this trap, I don't belong!"

The farmer said, "You're in their crew,
So their fate, will be yours too.
Innocent or not, you've strayed my way,
You'll face their fate, no more to say."

Though Stork had begged, "Please understand,"
The farmer stood, his verdict planned.
For in his field, and in his life,
He felt all must pay the price.

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why did the farmer decide to set a trap in his field?
  2. How do you think the stork felt when he was caught in the farmer's trap?
  3. Can you think of a time when you or someone else were unfairly blamed for something because of the people you were with?
  4. What does this story teach us about the company we keep and the concept of guilt by association?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our own lives, to choose our friends wisely and to understand that we may be judged by the company we keep?

Fable Quotes

Innocence in the midst of mischief, bears the same consequence.
The responsibility lies not only in our actions but also in the company we choose.
Associating with bad companions will lead to bad consequences.
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