The Buddha shared this story to the children several thousand of years ago. This story is an edited excerpt from Old Path, White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Buddha took birth or the form of earth, plants, humans, birds
and many other animals for many thousand years prior to his present birth as
human.
It’s the story of heron, a crab, a plumeria tree, and many
small shrimp and fish. Here, the heron was a wicked and deceitful creature who
caused death and suffering to many other beings. The heron made suffering to
the plumeria tree too, Buddha was the plumeria tree. He learned from the
incidence – if you deceive and harm others, in turn, you will be deceived and
harmed.
Buddha was the plumeria tree growing close to a fragrant,
cool lotus pond. No fish dwelled in that pond but not far from that pond was a
shallow and stagnant pond in which many fish and shrimp and a crab lived. A
heron flying overhead upon seeing the crowded situation of the fish and shrimp
devised a plan. Hence, he landed at the edge of their pond and stood there with
a long, sad face.
The fish and shrimp asked “Mister Heron, what are you
thinking about so seriously?” Heron replied “I’m thinking about your poor lot
in life. Your pond is muddy and foul. You lack adequate food. I feel terrible
pity for your hard lives.” The small creatures asked heron if he could be of
any help.
Heron said “Well, if you allow me to carry each one of you
over to the lotus pond not so far from here, I could release you in the cool
waters there. There is plenty to eat over there.”
“We would like to believe you Mister Heron, but we have
never heard that herons care anything about the lot of fish or shrimp. Perhaps
you only want to trick us in order to eat us up.”
“Why are you so suspicious? You should think of me as a kind
uncle. I have no reason to deceive you. There really is a large lotus pond not
far from here filled with plenty of fresh, cool water. If you don’t believe me,
let me fly one of you over there to see for himself. Then I’ll fly him back to
tell you whether or not I’m telling the truth.”
The shrimp and fish discussed the matter at some length
before at last agreeing to allow one of the elder fish to go with the heron.
The fish was tough and bristly, his scales as hard as stones. He was a swift
swimmer who could also maneuver well on sand. The heron picked him up in his
beak and flew him to the lotus pond. He released the old fish into the cool
waters and let him explore every nook and cranny of the pond. The pond was
indeed spacious, cool, refreshing, and a plentiful source of food. When the
heron returned him to the old pond, the fish reported all he had seen.
Convinced of the heron’s good intentions, the shrimp and
fish begged him to fly them to the pond one by one. The crafty heron agreed. He
picked up a fish in his beak and flew off. But this time, instead of releasing
the fish into the pond, he landed near the plumeria tree. He placed the fish in
a fork of the tree and ripped off its flesh with his beak. He tossed its bones
by the foot of the plumeria tree.
Buddha was that plumeria and he witnessed this entire taking
place. He was enraged, but there was nothing he could do to stop the heron. A
plumeria’s roots are firmly anchored in the earth. There was is nothing a
plumeria can do but grow branches, leaves, and flowers. He cannot run anywhere.
He could not call out and warn the shrimp and the fish about what was really
happening. He could not even stretch his branches to prevent the heron from
eating the helpless creatures. He could only witness the horrible scene. Every
time the heron brought a fish in his beak and began to tear at its flesh, he
was filled with pain. He felt as though his sap would dry up and his branches
break. Drops of moisture like tears collected on his bark. The heron did not
notice. Over a number of days, he continued to bring the fish over to devour
them. When all the fish were gone, he began to eat the shrimp. The pile of
bones and shells that piled up by his roots could have filled two large
baskets.
He knew that as a plumeria tree his job was to beautify the
forest with his fragrant flowers. But at that moment he suffered terribly from
not being able to do anything to save the shrimp and fish. If he had been deer
or a person he could have done something. But anchored by his roots to the
ground, he could not move. He vowed that if he was reborn as an animal or a
human in a future life, he would devote all his efforts to protect the weak and
helpless from the strong and powerful.
When the heron had devoured all the shrimp and fish, only
the crab remained. Still hungry, the heron said to the crab, “Nephew, I have
carried all the fish and shrimp to the lotus pond where they now live happily.
You are all alone here now. Let me take you to the new pond, too.”
“How will you carry me?” asked the crab.
“In my beak, just as I carried all the others.”
“What if I slipped out and fell? My shell would shatter into
a hundred pieces.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll carry you with utmost care.”
The crab thought carefully. Perhaps the heron had kept his
word and truly carried all the shrimp and fish to the lotus pond. But what if he had deceived them and eaten
them all? The crab devised a plan to insure his own safety. He said to the
heron, “Uncle, I’m afraid your beak is not strong enough to hold me securely.
Let me wrap my claws around your neck to hold on while you fly.”
The heron agreed. He waited for the crab to crawl onto his
neck and then he spread his wings and flew into the air. But instead of
carrying the crab to the lotus pond, he landed by the plumeria tree.
“Uncle, why don’t you put me down by the lotus pond? Why did
we land here instead?”
“What heron would be so stupid as to carry a bunch of fish
to a lotus pond? I am no benefactor, nephew. Do you see all those fish bones
and shrimp shells at the foot of the plumeria? This is where your life will
end, as well.”
“Uncle, the fish and shrimp may have been easily fooled, but
you can’t trick me so easily. Take me to the lotus pond at once or I will cut
you off your head with my claws.”
The crab began to dig his sharp claws into the heron’s neck.
Seized by sharp pain, the heron cried out, “Don’t squeeze so hard! I’ll take
you to the lotus pond right this minute! I promise I won’t try to eat you!”
The heron flew to the lotus pond where it intended to let
the crab down by the water’s edge. But the crab did not release its hold on the
heron’s neck. Thinking about all the fish and shrimp so cruelly deceived by the
heron, the crab dug his claw deeper and deeper into the heron’s neck until he
cut right through it. The heron dropped down dead and the crab crawled into the
pond.
