The Gripping Story Of The Old Man And The Crane

It is said that long ago a man  with long white hair came to a remote village. The man was always accompanied by a crane. They were an odd pair, because those birds were not normally very much appreciated by humans. However, the old man and the crane were always seen everywhere together.

The villagers said that this man was extremely wise. They said he was famous all over the region for sharing his wisdom. The old man, however, was very modest. He set up camp next to a manger, along with the crane that always stayed with him.

People started to get curious. They came close to watch him from a distance, but he didn’t even see them. Only the crane was paying attention. Soon the inhabitants of the village began to give  him food  and shelter  because they saw that he had no protection.  The old man and the crane thanked everyone who came to help them.

The old man and the crane are interrogated

One day, at sunset , a farmer approached the place where the old man and the crane rested. The bird was a little startled when he saw it and flapped its wings to wake the old man, who was dozing. He woke up and asked the visitor if he could do anything for him.

The farmer sat across from the old man and confessed that he had a question. He had been told that he was a very wise man and wanted to know if he could answer his question. The old man replied, “No one is wise enough to answer everything, but if I can help you, I will.”

The farmer told him that he wanted to know how to open the gates of heaven as well as those of hell . He wanted to have access to heaven but he certainly didn’t want to go to hell. That’s why he had to know how the doors opened to prevent that. The old man and the crane continued to listen intently. When the farmer had finished speaking, the old man said, “What a stupid question! I see you are a completely ignorant man!”

Hearing this, the farmer became furious and wanted to hit the old man. The crane intervened to prevent this. Then the farmer saw that the old man was blind and that the bird was his guide. He was ashamed that he had attacked him and his anger dissipated. He felt only compassion for that helpless old man and asked for forgiveness. The old man then told him, “Your anger opened the door to hell . Compassion opened the door of heaven. “

Knowing and not knowing

The farmer was surprised. The old man proved that he was indeed a very wise teacher. He immediately thanked him for the lesson and then told the whole village what had happened. A long line of people set course for where the old man and the crane were.  Some wanted answers, while others just wanted to watch them and be close to them. They radiated calm.

One afternoon a young man came to the place where the old man and the crane were. He behaved mysteriously. He came closer and said in a low voice:

“Master,  there are those who speak ill of you …”

“A moment! said the old man. Are you sure of what you’re going to tell me? Have you heard anyone speak ill of me?”

The young man thought for a moment and said:

“New. I didn’t hear it personally but someone told me… There is a lot of gossip in the village.

The old man and the crane remained silent for a moment. He thought and the crane, as always, remained very alert and protective by his side. The beautiful bird was grateful to him for freeing her from a trap in the woods. Since then, the crane had become his friend and guide, because the man was blind.

The great lessons of the old man and the crane

After meditating for a while, the teacher turned to the young man who had come to tell him that there was gossip in the city. He asked:

“ Will what you come to tell me do for me or for my friend the crane?”

The young man thought again for a moment. Then he said:

“Not really. To be honest, maybe quite the opposite. What is said to be said about you could hurt you.  And maybe your friend too, he added,” referring to the crane.

The old man and the crane remained silent again for a moment. Then the old man pointed to him:

“I have one last question for you. Do I need to know what is being said about me and about my friend the crane?”

“No, not really,” the young man replied thoughtfully.

“Go then,” said the old man. If you’re not sure about something, it won’t do you any good if you tell it and there’s no need for you to say it. It’s not worth talking about.