The Farmer and the Stork

There was once a farmer who had just sown his field with fresh seed. Every morning, he noticed that a flock of cranes was swooping down and gobbling up his precious seeds. The farmer was furious.

"Those greedy birds will eat my whole harvest!" he cried. So he spread a large net over the field and waited.

The Net Catches Birds

The next morning, the cranes came down as usual, and this time the net fell over them. But among the cranes, the farmer was surprised to find a tall, graceful stork with long legs and a long beak, caught fast in the net.

The stork struggled and pleaded, "Please, kind farmer, let me go! I am not a crane. I am a stork. I never stole your seeds. I was only flying past, and I happened to land with them. It is not fair to punish me for their crimes!"

The Farmer's Answer

A Plea for Mercy

The stork's long legs trembled. "But farmer," he cried, "look at my wings! Do I look like a thief? Cranes are grey and noisy. I am white and quiet. I eat frogs and fish, not seeds. Surely you can see the difference!"

The farmer scratched his chin. "I can see the difference between a stork and a crane, my fine fellow. What I cannot see is the difference between an honest bird and a dishonest one, when the honest bird chooses to sup with thieves."

"But where else was I to land?" wailed the stork. "The whole sky was full of cranes!"

"The sky is wide," answered the farmer, "and the meadows are green. You could have landed anywhere. You landed with thieves because their company pleased you. A wise bird chooses his flock as carefully as he chooses his food."

The Stork's Lesson

The stork hung his head, for he knew the farmer spoke the truth. He had enjoyed the cranes' wild games and their loud laughter, and he had not thought about where their games would lead.

"You are right," he said softly. "I chose badly, and I must pay for my choice. But if I am ever free again, I will remember this day and choose my friends with care."

The farmer looked at the stork thoughtfully. "You may be a stork," he said, "and you may not have eaten my seeds. But I found you with thieves, eating with thieves, flying with thieves. Anyone who keeps bad company must expect to share their punishment."

And with that, the farmer carried the stork away with the cranes, for he had made up his mind.

Moral of the Story

You are known by the company you keep. Choose your friends wisely, for their actions will be counted as yours.