A young man saves a crane (tsuru, in Japanese) from a gang of young boys who are threatening to stone it to death. The crane flies away. The next day, a beautiful woman appears in the village; her name is "Tsu." The young many falls hopelessly in love with her. They marry. But it is not until the end of the story, after his young wife displays her surprising skills at weaving, that he discovers her true identity. A Japanese folktale, retold. A tale of romance, greed, and mystery.