The crows enjoyed laughing at the heron every day. They mocked his steadfast position at the water’s edge but he just stood tall.  “You are wasting your time,” they said. “Give up. You’ll never find what you are looking for.”  They were relentless and unkind towards the heron but he did not waver from his place. He just kept his focus on the water as if trying to see below the surface. The heron was determined to succeed in his search. He could feel with certainty that there was something there in the water but he just couldn’t see it yet. The wind was sweeping over the lake in gusts making it very difficult to detect fish deeper in the water.

The crows continued with their harassment and taunting. Hunting and fishing came easily for them. They were scavengers by nature and there was plenty of garbage around so scraps of waste were abundant. They circled above the heron with their full beaks and swooped down to boast of their easy catch. Black dots against the sky, the crows gathered together in flight and crowed loudly to distract the solitary heron. This spectacle went on for some time as the crows went back and forth to collect their bits of garbage. Eventually, the wind died down and the sun appeared making the water crystal clear.

The heron knew his time had come. Even the crows knew that the heron was the most patient of all the water birds. He did not mind standing in the water for long periods of time. Today, the heron was firmly planted and balanced on one leg. His piercing eyes were searching. He was ready to harpoon his long and agile beak into the water at the first sign of movement.

At that very moment, the last crow circled above the heron and accidentally dropped what was in its beak. The crow’s prized catch fell straight down to the water from high above.  It was a thrown out piece of candy wrapped in a shiny red foil. The wrapper sparkled in the sunlight all the way down and hit the water with a small flicker.  This caused a faint glimmer of light and immediately caught the attention of the largest fish in the lake. In a flash, the fish swam quickly up to the surface and the heron, who was ready and waiting, made the final move. The heron was a skilled fisher and he did not need to chase the fish. His beak moved swiftly and decisively down into the water and the fish was his at last.