The Grateful Stork Fairy Tale

The Grateful Stork Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, a kind-hearted farmer was walking home through the snowy fields when he heard a soft cry. He looked around and saw a beautiful white stork caught in a hunter’s net. The bird struggled, but the more it fought, the tighter the net became

The farmer took pity on the poor stork and gently untangled it. “Fly away, dear bird. Be careful next time,” he said. The stork bowed its head as if in thanks and soared into the sky.

That evening, as snow fell softly outside, there was a gentle knock at the farmer’s door. When he opened it, he found a beautiful young woman standing in the cold. “I am lost and have nowhere to go. May I stay here for the night?” she asked.

The farmer welcomed her warmly, and the next morning, she offered to weave cloth for him. “Please, do not watch while I work,” she said. The farmer agreed, and by evening, she presented him with the most exquisite silk fabric he had ever seen. He sold the cloth in the market and made a good profit.

Every day, the woman wove more silk, but as time passed, the farmer grew curious. One day, he peeked inside the weaving room. To his shock, instead of the young woman, he saw the stork he had saved, plucking its own feathers to weave into the silk.

Realizing she had been discovered, the stork transformed back into the young woman. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I am the stork you saved. I wanted to repay your kindness, but now that you have seen my true form, I must leave.”

Before the farmer could stop her, she changed into a stork again and flew away into the sky, never to return. The farmer was heartbroken but forever grateful for the gifts she had given him.

Moral: Acts of kindness are often repaid in unexpected ways, and true generosity comes from the heart.

from A Japanese Folktale…The Grateful Stork Fairy Tale