a farmer placed nets on his newly sown plough lands, and caught a quantity of cranes, which came to pick up his seed. with them he trapped a stork also.

the stork, having his leg fractured by the net, earnestly besought the farmer to spare his life. "pray, save me, master," he said, "and let me go free this once. my broken limb should excite your pity. besides, i am no crane. i am a stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how i love and slave for my father and mother. look, too, at my feathers, they are not the least like to those of a crane."

the farmer laughed aloud, and said: "it may all be as you say, i only know this, i have taken you with those robbers, the cranes, and you must die in their company."