The Geese and the Cranes

Summary


"The Geese and the Cranes" is a short Aesop fable in which two birds share a peaceful meadow — until a birdcatcher arrives with his nets. The nimble Cranes take flight at the first sign of danger, while the heavier Geese, too slow to escape, are caught. In just a few lines, Aesop distills a sharp lesson about the consequences of being weighed down when swiftness is the only thing that can save you.


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The Geese and the Cranes were feeding in the same meadow, when a birdcatcher came to ensnare them in his nets. The Cranes, being light of wing, fled away at his approach; while the Geese, being slower of flight and heavier in their bodies, were captured.


Credits

Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller, believed to have lived around the 6th century BCE, whose fables have shaped moral literature across cultures for over two millennia. "The Geese and the Cranes" is one of his shortest pieces, delivering its pointed lesson in a single, unflinching scene with no wasted words.