An owl flew through the air, merry-headed and bright. She flew and flew, then sat down, turned her tail, looked around, and flew again. That is only the saying; the tale is still ahead.
Once there lived a crane and a heron in a swamp. They built their little houses at opposite ends.
The crane felt lonely living by himself and thought, “I will go and ask the heron to marry me.”
So the crane went: step, step, step, through seven miles of swamp. He came to the heron and asked:
“Is the heron at home?”
“At home.”
“Will you marry me?”
“No, Crane, I will not marry you. Your legs are long, your clothes are short, and you fly poorly. Go away, long-legs!”
The crane went home, disappointed.
After a while the heron thought, “Why should I live alone? I had better marry the crane.”
She came to the crane and said, “Crane, take me as your wife.”
“No, Heron, I do not need you. I do not want to marry. Go away!”
The heron cried from shame and went back home.
Then the crane thought, “I should not have refused the heron. It is lonely alone. I will go and ask her again.”
He came and said, “Heron, I have decided to marry you. Come with me.”
“No, Crane, I will not marry you!”
The crane went home.
Then the heron thought again, “Why did I refuse? What is the use of living alone? I will go to the crane.”
She came to ask him, but the crane did not want her.
And so they still walk back and forth to this very day, asking each other, but never marrying.
The End.