Narrative derived from Panchatantra: Crane and Crab

Candi Mendut was built in Centra Java by Sai Lane dynasty in 14th century BE. It was built in Mahayana around the same period as Borobudur. Candi Mendut is in the same area as Candi Pawon and Borobudur.

Once upon a time, there was a crafty stork who wanted to eat all the fish in the pond. The stork lied to the fish in the drying pond that it would take all the fish to the bigger pond full of water. But each one of the fish must be inside his beak and every fish believed him. As a result, all the fish were eaten. Then it was a crab’s turn. Instead of going inside the stork’s beak, the crab asked to use his claws to hold onto the neck of the stork. He saw the stork killed the fish, he then decided to pinch the stork with his claws until the stork died.

The story appears on the base of the sculpture. It is carved in the wood decorated with a flora. Panchatantra narrative is an Indian story with morals. The story uses animals as lead characters