“You promised,” she whispered. “I wished to repay your kindness, but my secret is seen. I can no longer stay.”
Feeling great pity, the old man carefully untied the knots. The crane, now free, let out a joyful cry, spread its wide wings, and soared into the snowy sky. The old man continued home, thinking nothing more of it. tsuru no ongaeshi story
Delighted, they agreed.
There was no girl. In the lamplight stood a slender white crane, plucking its own feathers and weaving them into the loom. The beautiful cloth was made from its own body. The crane’s legs were bare and bleeding; its once-glorious wings were thinning and raw. It was the same crane her husband had saved. “You promised,” she whispered
The old couple grew rich, but they also grew curious. “Why must we not look?” the old woman whispered. “What secret is she hiding?” The crane, now free, let out a joyful
The old couple promised. The girl went into a small back room, and from behind the closed door came the soft, rhythmic click-clack of a loom. She wove all day and all night. When she finally emerged, exhausted, she held up a bolt of cloth—so brilliant and exquisite that it shimmered like moonlight on water. “Take this to the village market,” she said. “Sell it for a high price.”
What she saw made her gasp.