Long, long ago, there was a good and honest man named Yohyo, who lived in a small village and worked as a woodcutter.
One cold winter day, as Yohyo hurried home across snow-covered fields, he found a beautiful crane with an injured wing lying in the snow. Feeling sorry for the bird, he gently picked it up, took it home, and cared for it until it was well enough to fly away.
A few days later, on a snowy night, a young woman named Otsu knocked on Yohyo's door, having lost her way. Yohyo kindly took her in. A storm kept her there the next day, and they soon fell in love and married.
Although poor, they were happy. Just before New Year's Eve, Yohyo worried about having no money for the feast. Otsu offered to weave cloth for him to sell, but made him promise not to look into the room while she worked. After hours of waiting, Otsu emerged with the most beautiful cloth Yohyo had ever seen.