Aspiring to be moving and lofty, this stilted fable tells of a lonely magician who spends his evenings at paper-folding and one night brings a perfect crane to life. His outings with the perfect crane win his neighbors' interest and visits. The man is reluctant when the time comes for the crane to fly off with a flock, but freedom prevails--and the man is not left lonely, for now he has friends. And when the crane returns in spring, as it will every year, the two have much to tell each other. Like the story, the illustrations are lifeless and self-consciously solemn.