When I was eight years old, a crane came to the palace.
The envoys marched into the hall in a mighty manner and brought out a dazzling array of treasures.
I slowly yawned as I glanced at the exquisite luxuries.
Then, a cage covered with black cloth was brought up.
"One East Asian white crane!"
An old man came out, silver-haired yet hale and hearty.
"This is an early birthday present for the princess," he said.
When the cloth was lifted, there stood a snow-white bird inside, the tail and wing feathers were like dark clouds on the snow, with a bright red on the top of the head, legs standing so slender and elegant.
I was stunned, having never seen such an animal.
It is so beautiful and lovable. Being completely different from those ordinary cats and dogs one would commonly see. The vulgar jewelry others presented was still in the background, making it even more special.
I ran to the cage and looked up at it.
The old man next to her bent down and whispered: "This secret is only for you, Your Highness. No one else knows."
I nodded cautiously.
He said: "East Asian people call this bird the 'Spirit Crane'. Legends claim that it travels with immortals, and its body is also covered with the immortal spirit."
With so, the cage moved into the cubicle of the princess bedroom.
The summer night was sweltering, I suffered from insomnia, and spread my body all over the bed.
In the midst of boredom, a white figure appeared in my mind.
The bird stood on the snow, lonely and cold. Slowly, my heart became calm.
I quietly climbed out of the bed and tiptoed to the door of the compartment. The moonlight leaked out from a thin crack.
Peeking inside, the crane from the daytime was replaced by a half-kneeling woman.
The slender body was wrapped in a white feather skirt, glossy black hair was woven into thick and soft braids, flowing under the moonlight, and a little point cinnabar gleamed on her forehead.
I walked over and sat next to her. A hand reached out from the cage, patting my head gently. There were layers of gray feathers on the sleeves. I buried my face in them, feeling the soft touch.
"Can you let me go home?"
"Where is your home?"
The crane turned its head to look at the bright moon outside the window, with yearning in its eyes.
She said that she came from a very far away place, but she couldn't remember how far away.
There are verdant pine forests, rustling white snow, and free cranes in her home.
But then……
The crane looked at me sadly, as if begging. Tears slid from her eyes, she cried in a plaintive voice.
I reached for the lock but paused just as I was about to unlock it.
"No," I pursed my lips and said, "You are my pet, I won't allow you to leave."
The eyes dimmed, from sparkling stars to stagnant water.
The next day, I went to see the cranes immediately after I got up.
There are no women in the cage, only a bird.
What happened last night was like a dream.
"Back to what it was yesterday."
Crane's eyes were dull as if she didn't understand.
I was annoyed and pulled out a feather.
A short mournful noise sounded, and it looked at me sorrowfully.
“Quick, transform!"
Another white feather fell.
She wouldn't give in, and neither would I.
We tortured each other for months.
One day, when the fingertips touched the shiny feathers under the long beak, the crane turned back into a woman.
I grabbed the feathered sleeve outside the cage and felt ecstatic.
I vowed to treat her well from now on. With gold, silver, and jewelry, gourmet food, and a comfortable place to live, I don't believe these won’t keep her.
December.
It snowed at night, the cage was moved to the fireplace.
"Crane, I like you." I hugged her arm tightly and sniffed the fragrance of her hair.
"Don't think about your hometown, play with me, we can be together forever."
...
There was silence, with only crackling sounds from the fireplace.
Sullenness piled up in my heart, I don’t understand why she insisted on leaving. I obviously gave everything to her, why did she leave? Yet the question was not asked, certain that there will be no answer.
I curled up beside the cage and fell into a deep sleep.
As the years passed, I almost forgot about the crane.
The cage was moved out of the compartment and into a more remote place, I figured I wouldn’t be upset if I couldn’t see her normally.
Rumors spread that I like raising animals, so people offered many rare and exotic animals.
Tropical frogs, handsome fierce horses, and majestic lions, countless rare animals.
They have all been domesticated, approaching people intimately when they see them.
Much better than that certain bird.
The previous sentence is a lie.
I can never forget the white figure I saw in the lonely moonlight when I was eight.
I shook my head, forcing myself not to think about her.
This memory was supposed to be blown away by the wind over time.
But one day, the maid came in a hurry.
She said that Crane couldn't eat or sleep and was dying.
"Birds who leave their natural habitat will inevitably shorten their lifespan." The veterinarian prescribed a drug that he said would provide temporary relief. Before leaving, he sighed: "I suggest you put it back into the wild."
I asked someone to draw a massive painting with pine trees, white snow, and wild cranes inside misty clouds. Putting it in front of the cage, I hope she can alleviate the pain of homesickness when she sees it.
The crane woke up faintly and turned into a human form. When she saw the painting, she laughed lowly, coughing out of her throat like a long sigh. The scarlet liquid slid down the side of her lips, contrasting her skin even paler.
"Why... are you so cruel?"
"Close at hand, yet far away in this world... how vicious."
My lips twitched slightly but didn't speak.
I feel more than anyone of something being near yet far.
I tied the crane's arms with red silk, carried her out of the cage, and placed her on a soft bed. Lips pressed on the softness I longed for a million times and pried her teeth open. The tip of the tongue stirred the fragrance in her mouth. From the hair on the forehead to the collarbone, I kissed every inch, as if this could melt her into my blood.
The crane didn’t react. A teardrop slid from her eye.
When dusk arrived, I woke up and put her back in the cage.
Perhaps I slept too long before, so I suffered from insomnia again.
The bright moonlight shone down, just like the night many years ago.
A low and long bird song sounded as if playing a sad piece of music.
The voice wept all night, then finally became short and faint, at last returning to silence.
The next day, I went to visit the crane.
She faced the direction of the window, smiling.
My hands trembled, covering those staring eyes.
Knowing she has finally returned to her home.
Many years later, I met the old man who gave me the crane again. He stood in the envoy team, with wrinkles growing all over his face.
A familiar cage was presented, covered with a black cloth.
Once uncovered, inside it is a colorful peacock.
I didn't look at it, just stared at the old man.
"Imprisoning birds that can fly and making them yearn for freedom day after day. Don't you think it's cruel?"
He scratched his head, smiled awkwardly, and said something softly.
I bent down, laughing silently with tears filling in my eyes.
He said:
"The birds I gave to your Highness all had clipped wings."
End.