Beautiful legend of the cranebird... Hello folks, Today I want to talk about a wonderful Japanese legend about the cranebird. It touches me so and I find this legend so special that I wanted to share it with everyone. So I hope you like it: The cranebird, or in Japanese the "Tzuru", is a conception over the whole world. The cranebird was famous for centuries in eastern countries as a symbol of luck and health. According to a legend, the cranebird would live 1000 years. The one who folds a cranebird for someone else wishes him or her 1000 years of luck and a good health. There is also told that one who is feeling sick and is able to fold 1000 cranebirds, that he will be feeling better again in no time. The cranebird has also become a symbol for peace. Over the whole world people are now folding cranebirds as symbol for peace and they are seen a lot on peace-demonstrations also. This is because in August 1945, when the A-bomb fell on Hiroshima, a young girl called "Sadako Suzaki" became radioactive contaminated. Although it first looked as if she was one of the lucky ones who sustained this catastrophe, she encountered the incurable disease of radiation. Sadako didn't want to die and she started to fold 1000 cranebirds. Unfortunately she didn't made it to fold 1000 cranebirds and she died, even though she was ready with folding the biggest part of them. Her friends who felt empathy for her were beaten with the whole mountain of folded cranebirds in front of them. It was like all effort for nothing, but maybe it wasn't. One of them had an idea to sell those cranebirds and used that money to support the victims of Hiroshima. This plan has grown out and caused that the cranebird spreaded worldwide. Letters to all groups of people were written with enclosed diagrams with the request to fold a cranebird yourself and then selling it to support the victims of Hiroshima. This all has happened in the years 1950-1960, it's already have been long time ago but the cranebird has done its entry in the world with that and even now it counts as a symbol for peace. I know I'm not perfect, I have my own mistakes but with this picture of my own personal folded cranebird for you all out there, I want to wish you a very long and good healthy life in a world where peace will prevail despite the hard times we have sometimes. Thank you for reading and taking some of your time. Best greetings to you out there, even from far away... Angelo