Crane and Stork
A crane lived alone for a long time in a large swamp. Life became very boring. He started to think that he should take a wife. But who to take? Maybe he should court the stork? The stork has beautiful feathers and red stockings. The crane went seven versts through the marsh to the field where the stork lived.
“Hello, girl!”
“Hello, hello! Why did I come? I came to be your suitor! I want to marry you."
The stork started looking at the crane. He sees that the stork has long, bare legs, and the clothes are very short and torn. The stork says to the crane:
“Ew, dear suitor, I'm not going to marry you! Your clothes are very short and torn; even your shins are bare!'' The crane turned around and sadly went back to the swamp.
The next day, the stork looks appraisingly at herself. She thinks: "Oh damn, I made a mistake. I should have married him. I am no better than he is. I also have short clothes and long red legs. All right, I'll marry him in the morning."
The stork traveled seven versts across the swamp and said to the crane: "Look, dear suitor, you courted me yesterday. I didn't want to marry you, but today I changed my mind. Now I have come to marry you."
The crane says to the stork: "When I came to court you, you didn't want to marry me. Now I won't marry you anymore!”
The stork became very sad. Went sobbing back across the swamp.
The crane gave her the last look, began to think, and felt sorry for her: "I'll go tomorrow and marry her!" So he went to the stork: "I'll marry you!"
The stork turned her beak just a little and said over its shoulder to the crane: "You came to court me, I didn't want to marry you, then I went to offer myself to you, you didn't accept. Now you came for me, but now I won't marry you!"
The crane went back to the swamp again, dejected, and they continue to live apart to this day.
Sookurg elas üksi pikka aega suures soos. Elu muutus väga igavaks. Hakkas mõtlema, et oleks vaja naist võtma hakata. Aga keda võtta? Tuleks õige toonekurele kosja minna. Tal on ilusad suled ja punased sukad jalas. Sookurg läks seitse versta läbi soo põllu äärde, kus toonekurg elas.
„Tere, tütarlaps!“
„Tere, tere! Mis asja mul oli? Ma tulin kosja! Tahan sind endale naiseks võtta.“
Toonekurg hakkas sookurge vaatama. Vaatab, et sookurel on pikad paljad jalakesed, riided on väga lühikesed ja katkised. Toonekurg ütleb sookurele:
„Võeh, kulla kosilane, ma ei tule sulle! Su riided on väga lühi-kesed ja katkised, jalasääredki paljad!“
Sookurg pööras ümber, läks kurvana rabasoosse tagasi.
Teisel päeval vaatab toonekurg ennast hindavalt. Mõtleb: „Vaat, kurivaim, halvasti tegin. Oleksin pidanud talle minema. Ega ma temast parem ei ole. Mul on ka lühikesed riided ja pikad punased sääred. Oot, ma lähen hommikul talle naiseks.“
Läkski toonekurg seitse versta üle soo, seletab sookurele: „Vaat, kulla kosilane, sa käisid mul eile kosjas. Ma ei tahtnud sulle tulla, aga täna ma mõtlesin ringi. Nüüd ma tulin sulle naiseks.“
Sookurg ütleb toonekurele: „Kui ma sinu pool kosjas olin, siis sa ei tulnud mulle. Nüüd ma sind enam ei võta!“
Toonekurg muutus väga kurvaks. Läks nuuksudes tagasi üle soo.
Sookurg vaatas talle järele, hakkas mõtlema ja tal hakkas temast kahju: „Ma lähen homme, võtan ta ära!“ Läkski toonekure poole: „Ma võtan su ära!“
Toonekurg pööras vaid pisut nokka ja ütles üle õla sookurele: „Sa olid mul kosjas, ma ei läinud sulle, pärast läksin sulle ennast pakkuma, sa ei võtnud. Nüüd tulid sa mulle järele, aga nüüd ei tule mina sulle!“
Sookurg läks jälle tagasi sohu, nina norgus, ja elavad tänase päevani lahus.
The stork is a holy bird. It must not be shot and its nest must not be damaged, because an accident will happen to the killer or reiver.
Toonekurg on püha lind. Teda ei tohi lasta ega tema pesa lõhkuda, sest siis juhtub tapjale või rüüstajale õnnetus.
When storks fly close to a dwelling house, a baby can be expected soon.
Toonekured elumaja ligi lendavad, olla varssi noort sugu oodata.
