The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley

The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley

A boy helps an injured crane, that then returns in human form to weave silk and save the boy and his father from poverty. Adapted from Japanese folktales and told in alternating prose and haiku.

While gathering firewood, Yasuhiro comes upon an injured crane hidden in the snow. He rescues and comforts the bird, then watches as it flies away over the wintry hills.

The next night, a mysterious young girl arrives at Yasuhiro's home seeking shelter from the cold. The boy and his father welcome the girl, named Hiroko, to stay with them. But when Hiroko notices that Yasuhiro's father is struggling to earn money, she offers to weave silk for him to sell. After the fabric fetches a good price, the boy's father becomes impatient for more silk, and his greed has a life-changing effect on them all.

Lyrical storytelling deftly interwoven with original haiku create a magical adaptation of a popular Japanese folktale-an inspirational story of friendship and the power of kindness to transform lives.

Curtis Manley is a Haiku Society of America member and a full-time writer. He enjoys watching birds and other animals in their natural habitats, whether in his own garden or in the western United States' forests, deserts, and canyons. He always wants to see a sandhill crane on his trips. Manley grew up in western Pennsylvania but now lives with his wife and kid in the Seattle region. Curtis Manley's website is curtismanley.com.