The Yellow Stork

They say that once upon a time, there lived a poor student in Fuzhou. His name was Mi. He was so poor that he couldn’t even afford to pay for a cup of tea. Mi would surely have starved to death if it weren’t for a tea house owner. Out of pity for the poor man, the owner fed and gave tea to Mi for free.

But one day, Mi came to the tea house owner and said:

"I’m leaving. I have no money, and I can’t pay for all that I’ve drunk and eaten here. However, I don’t want to seem ungrateful. Here, look!"

And he took a piece of yellow chalk from his pocket and drew a crane on the wall of the tea house. The crane looked just like a real one, only yellow.

"This crane," said Mi, "will bring you ten times more money than I owe. Every time people gather and clap their hands three times, it will come down from the wall and dance. But remember one thing: never make the crane dance for just one person. And if such misfortune happens, know that the crane will dance for the last time. And now, farewell!"

With these words, the student Mi turned and left.

The owner was surprised but decided to give it a try. The next day, when many people gathered in the tea house, he asked everyone to clap their hands three times. Immediately, the yellow crane descended from the wall and danced several dances. And how cheerfully and amusingly it danced! Then it returned to the wall. The guests were delighted—they marveled, gasped, and couldn’t believe their eyes. And so it was every time people gathered in the tea house.

Word of this wonder spread far and wide. People flocked to the tea house, and the owner quickly grew rich. Mi’s promise had come true.

But one day, an important official came to the tea house. He saw that only peasants and craftsmen were sitting around. The official became angry and ordered everyone to be driven out.

The servants rushed in with sticks—the crowd scattered, and the official was left alone. He laid out a pile of money in front of the owner and demanded to see the crane. At the sight of the money, the owner forgot everything. He clapped his hands three times, and the crane reluctantly descended from the wall and danced one dance. It looked gloomy and sickly. Then it returned to the wall and didn’t move again. The official shouted and threatened, but there was nothing he could do.

That night, someone knocked loudly on the tea house door. The owner went to open it—there stood the student Mi, silent. Mi took a flute from his pocket, played it, and walked away without looking back. The crane stirred, jumped off the wall, and followed him. From that day on, no one ever saw Mi or his magical yellow crane again.

Old people say that if such a wonder appears anywhere, it is for everyone. And when only one person possesses it, it’s as if it doesn’t exist—it will disappear anyway.

↑ To the top

The Yellow Stork

More fairy tales