The Stork and the Crab Story in English for Kids

The tales of Panchatantra are ancient Indian animal fables presented as short stories. "The Stork and The Crab" is one of those remarkable short stories from Panchatantra that has a valuable moral. The stork and the crab characters are a cunning stork, a wise crab and various fish. The pond was home to fishes, crabs, and many other creatures. Upon seeing the pond, a stork feels happy as it has plenty of fish to consume. Over time, the stork becomes weaker, which causes him to come up with a plan to easily consume all the fish in the pond. However, things don't turn out the way the stork wants, after the big crab finds out his true intentions.

The Origin of the Stork and the Crab

The Panchatantra stories are the teachings of a famous teacher, Vishnusharma. The Stork and The Crab is an excellent short story from Panchatantra with a valuable moral. In order to impart knowledge to three young princes of a kingdom, he wrote these interesting stories. By telling these simple stories, he taught them wise conduct, which children love even today. Hence, these stories are still relevant and a perfect example to teach good morals to children.

The Stork and the Crab Summary in English 

Once upon a time, there lived a stork near a pond. There were many species of fish living in the pond. As a result, the stork was very happy because he had more fish to eat. Over time, the stork grew older and weaker. Sometimes, he did not even manage to catch a single fish. He was concerned about his health. In his mind, he believed he would die of hunger.

He took some time to formulate a plan. A few minutes later, he went to the pond and sat by the bank. He was dissatisfied. That day, he didn't even try to catch any fish, but he continued looking so sad.

Several fish, frogs, and crabs spotted the sad stork. So, they asked him why he looked so sad. He explained to the fish, frogs, and crabs that some men intend to fill the pond with soil so that crops can be grown and that soon there will be no fish left in the pond. Also, he stated that he felt sad about this and that he would miss them all. Hearing this, the fish were also saddened and requested assistance from the stork. Stork promised to take them all to a larger pond. However, he explained that due to his age, he would only be able to accept a few at a time. But the stork had other plans. Whenever he was hungry, he would kill and eat a few fish from a rock nearby.

A crab also lived in the same pond, and he wanted to go to the larger one as well. As a result, he requested the stork one day. For a change, the stork decided to eat the crab and was willing to assist him. During the journey, the crab asked the stork, “Where is the big pond?” The stork laughed and pointed to a rock that was littered with fish bones. Suddenly, the crab realized that he would also be killed by the stork. In order to save himself, he managed to grasp the stork's neck and did not let go until the stork died.

The Stork and the Crab

Moral for the Stork and the Crab Story 

The Panchatantra story conveys a very meaningful message. The moral of the stork and the crab is that in some difficult situations, we may not be able to obtain any assistance or support. When this occurs, a sharp mind becomes our greatest asset! It is possible to protect yourself from any awful situation with a good presence of mind and quick thinking capabilities. Another moral of the story is that excess greed is harmful to those who indulge in it. Greed is a negative trait and would eventually lead to your downfall.

Note to Parents 

Parents must know that story-telling can be a fun activity, but the morals and lessons it teaches can assist children in developing their character and emotional intelligence. With the stork and the crab images, reading a story becomes visually exciting and enjoyable for children. To read this story anywhere at any time, download the stork and the crab PDF available on our main website.