There was a stork who befriended cranes and often chatted and played with them.
Its mother was very worried and said to it, “Look at those cranes, stealing seeds from the farmer. Sooner or later, they will be caught. You are often with them, and since we look so much like cranes, they might mistake you for one and catch you too!”
But the stork replied, “I haven’t stolen anything; nothing will happen to me!”
Finally, the farmer couldn’t bear the continuous theft of seeds.
He set up traps and caught many cranes stealing seeds.
Unfortunately, the stork was also caught in the trap.
The stork said to the farmer, “Please let me go! I haven’t stolen your seeds. I am a stork with good character, filial piety, and diligence. With my integrity, I wouldn’t steal from you. Although I resemble cranes a bit, if you look closely, you’ll see we are different!”
The farmer chuckled and replied, “You speak eloquently, but I can’t discern truth from falsehood. However, I personally saw you with these seed-stealing cranes and caught you along with them. So, you’ll meet the same fate as them!”
The stork deeply regretted, saying, “My mother warned me not to befriend bad company, but I didn’t listen! Now I understand, but it’s already too late!”
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