Reading Activity: Close reading of text & annotation

As you ead the following story, refer to the folk›wing ques tions to guile you in
analysing the folk tale:

• What have you learned about the setting and characters?

• What qualities or traits have the old man and his wife demonstrated?
• What is the plot of the story? (Storyline)
• What qualities might the crane represent?
• Whal supernatural abilities does the crane demonstrate?
• What is the old couple meant to learn from this experience?

The Crane Maiden

Resold by ROJe MoRin

Once, long ago, an otd couple lived all alone near the edges of a ma sh. They were hard-
working but poor.

One day the man had been gathering marsh p!ants, cattails, and such for his wife to cook
As he walked back a)ong the trail, he heard a sharp Cry and the sounds of someone—or
something—struggling. Parting the long grasses by the trail’s edge, he walked carefully into
the marsh. The sounds—a clacking and a ftapping, whirring noise—came from up ahdad.
Frightened but still curious, he stepped forward and looked. There on the ground before
him lay a great white crane. Its leg was trapped in a snare, and it was flapping desperately
about trying to get free. its beak was blacking open and shut. Its eye was wild with pairt
and fear. Its wings were muddled. Never had the man seen such desperation in a wild
creature. His heart was moved. Speaking soothingly, he drew closer. Somehwv the crane
seemed to sense his intent and grew calm. Gentle and slow were the man’s movement as
he approached. Then, bending down, he loosened the snare from the crane*s leg and
backed

The crane stood up. Flexing its injured leg, it stood there gazing directly at the man. Then
opening xs wings, it flapped once, twice, lifted up off the muddy pound, and flew away.
The man stood gazing afier the great white bird as it made. its way across the sky. Tean
came to his eyes with the beauty of it."I must see this dearty, and remember it, every
detail,“ he said to himself. ”How my wife will enjoy hearing ofthJs adventure. I shall weave
every detail into words for her, sa she too will see.-

You are late,“ his wife said when her husband returned. "i have been worried. Are you atl
rlght7”

“I am better than all right,”dear.wife. I have had an adventure. I ha•e seen such a sighs
Watt, |et jyje rejytgyg fTjy 5Bfjdgi5 afjb Sit doWft. I Sttall test yOU al .“

CamScanner
7hen he told her of his finding the trapped crane, of lhe blrd’s panic and pain, and of the
8*+*! BY he felt a5 he watched the white blrd fly away.

“Dear husband, I arr} ISO glad you helped that wild creature. Truly \t must have been a
wondrou5 sight tO see the Erane rise up from the muddled ground and soar Into the
heavens.”

•It was. It WZs. ! havg told It to You as best l ‹ould. For when I saw It fly I knew It was a sight
you would have loved. And I wanted to share it with you.“

Bank you, husband." Then the steamed the plants he had gathered and they ate their rice
and drank their tea and, when it grow i•te and the moon rose up in the blackness and sailed
across the night sky, they let the fi‹» sink dow« and they›I‹pt.

The next morning, they heard a Lnocklng at the door. The woman opened the door and
there stood a young glrl.

"I am lost," she said."May I come In7”

"Of coune. Come in, dear child," the old woman said. ’Have a cup a( tea. Sit do vn."

So the girl came In. She was alone in this world, she Said,”Let me con(ess,“ she added, aher
dr\nking the tea and eating the rice the old touple gave her, "I would like to stay here with
you. I am a hard worker. I no longer wish to be alone, You are Lind people. Please let me

The old couple had aIWaY•wanted a daughter, and S€i It WaS aBreed.

Thank you,“ the glrl sald. "I do not think you will regret it." She peered curiously around the
house. She looked into an adjoining room. Her face Ilt up."I see you have a loom.2 May I
use It from time to tlme7“

"Daughter," the woman said, “all that we have is yours. O( course yoM may use the loom.*

•I am a shy weaver," the girl said. •PIease, Mother, please, Father, when \ am weaving do
not look Into rhe room until I am done. WIII you promise me this7”

"It w1lI be as you wish, child."

The next day their new daughter said she would go Into the weavlng room. The door was to
be shut and neither her father nor her mother were to Ioot‹ In untll her work was
completed. All day the girl sat at the loom. And all day the old couple heard the Packing and
the whlrrJng of the shuttle, the spinning a(the bobbins of thread,

CamScanner
When the sun was tetting the
masy tplend d tloth the otd coupl4? gt seen. The t›at1¥'fn Wal PerI€'c ł. th+ ‹ t›lc1tłi x
had
glowing. imase of the marsh, the sun,
finely woveri mateńal.

“Mother, Father, please take th is cloth la th e market and sell it. With th‹• ntt›n»y t‹›«r l4r
will become easier. I want to do this fof Y0u."

The old couple was astonished at their daughter’s skill. 7hr• next day the man brought the
cloth to the town. Immediately people began to bid for the beautiful Cloth, whi‹h w«x xnI‹i
at tast for three ryo of gold-an unheard•of sum.

That night the ołd couple ąnd thelr daughter, dressed in new kTmonos, ate a wond‹ rful
meal-al\ bought with a small blt of the gold. For seva’raI months life was casv R it lhci› ll›e

Once more the daughter entered the room, closed the door, and beg›1n to weave Sion
clock clock. wh/rr w/drr-wh/zr- Hours later she emerged, pale and worn. In her arms was a
cloth that shoe like sitter, filled with patterns of the moon and slars, patterns nf sunllpht
and moonlight shining on water. The old couple had never Imagined a ntatertal of s‹Irh
stunning beauty.

But once again the girl said, “Mother, Father. do not keep the cloth. I c4n ntake more. PI¢'au•
setl It and use the mo«ey to care for your old age."

to again the man took the doth to town. The merchants were astonished. TheY bld
furiously, one against the other, until the cloth had been said for six ryo of gold

For many months the family lived happily together. But In time, that money too was go›ir.
be daughter went once again to the loom. But this time her mother and father wera
curious Why must they not look7 They couldn’t bear it. They decided that they would take
'ust a peek through a crack In the wall. If their daughter could not see them, they reasoned,
it would not disturb her at all.

Oack clock clog whlzt whirr whirz. The man and the woman walked softty elong the wall,
knelt down, •nd peered through a thin crack in the papef wail. At the loony sat « white cranr
pulling feathers from Its ‹›wnbreast and wings with Its long bill. It was weaving wtth those
feathers. The crane turned toward the crack and looked with a great blaCk mournful eye.
The man and the woman tumbled backward. But It was too late. They had been sren.

Later, when the door of the rQOM opened, their daughter erherged, pale and worn. In her
arms she held c most magnificent cloth. Dn It were lnjaaes ol the setttn$ sun. the rtsina
moon, the trees In autumn, the long mlgrations of the cranes On it too were thy Imcges of
a man and a woman watChlng a white crane fly away.

•Father, Mother," she said; I had hoped to stay with yau always. But you have seen me as I
truly am. I am the crane you saved, Father, from the trap. I wanted to repay you for your“'

CamScanner
kindness. I shall never forget you, but now that you know thts truth, I cannot stay with you.

The man and the woman wept. They begged and pleaded, ‘We love you. Do not leave us.
We do not care that you are a cranel YOU gfe our daughter. We shall tell no one."

"It k too late,“ whispered the girl. the marshes call to me. The sky calls to me. The wind in
the trees whispers my name. And I must follow. Perhaps all Is as it should be. The debt has
been repaid. I shall never forget you. Farewell."

She walked from the hut and stood out in the open alr. The man and the woman watched in
wonder as be(ore their eyes their beautiful pale daughter became a beautiful white crane.
Flapping her wings once, twice, three times, the great crane rose slowly up off the ground
and, clrcling the hut, flew away.

”Farewell,“ sald the man and the woman, watching the crane disappear over the marsh.
”We shall miss you, daughter, But we are glad that you are free.“

After that, every year when the cranes migrated, the old couple left a silver dish of grain
before their door. And every year a beautlfu! crane came to eat that grain.

So the story goes.

IS

CamScanner