Russian folk tale

The Crow and the Crayfish

A short folk tale about a crayfish who escapes a crow by using kind, clever words.

A crow was flying over the sea. She saw a crayfish crawling below.

A crow flying over the sea and noticing a crayfish near the shore

She grabbed him and carried him toward the forest to eat him on a branch.

A crow carrying a crayfish from the seashore toward the forest

The crayfish saw that he was in trouble and said to the crow:

“Dear Crow, dear Crow! I knew your father and mother. They were fine and noble birds!”

“Mm-hm,” answered the crow without opening her beak.

“And I knew your brothers and sisters too. What good birds they were!”

“Mm-hm,” answered the crow again.

“But even they cannot compare with you. I think there is no bird in the world wiser than you.”

“Indeed!” croaked the crow with her whole beak open, and she dropped the crayfish into the sea.

The crow opens her beak and the clever crayfish drops safely into the sea

The crayfish splashed down and escaped.

The End.