Aesop
|
Greece

The Crow and the Pitcher

A thirsty crow cleverly drops pebbles into a pitcher, raising the water level to drink and quench its thirst.
Problem-Solving
Perseverance
Resourcefulness
Aesop's Fables - The Crow and the Pitcher
Audio available for B1 version

In a parched and dry region, a thirsty crow flew desperately in search of water. As it roamed around the barren land, it finally spotted a pitcher with a small amount of water at the bottom.

Eager to drink, the crow tried to reach the water with its beak, but the neck of the pitcher was too narrow and deep for the crow to access the precious liquid. It tried repeatedly, stretching its neck as far as it could, but it was all in vain.

The crow briefly considered trying to push the pitcher over to access the water, but found that the pitcher was stuck in the sand, making it impossible to tilt. Determined to quench its thirst, the crow pondered on a solution to this problem. Then, a brilliant idea struck its mind. The crow noticed several small pebbles scattered around the pitcher. Picking up one pebble at a time in its beak, the crow started to drop them into the pitcher.

As the pebbles accumulated at the bottom of the pitcher, the water level gradually rose higher and higher. The crow continued this process patiently until the water was finally within reach of its beak.

The thirsty crow dipped its beak into the pitcher and drank the water to its heart's content, satisfied with its cleverness and persistence.

Once upon a time, in a very hot place, a crow was very thirsty. The crow flew around looking for water. Then, it saw a pot with a little water inside.

The crow tried to drink the water, but the pot was too deep. The crow could not reach the water.

The crow thought about pushing the pot over, but it was stuck in the sand.

Then, the crow had a bright idea. It saw some small stones. The crow picked up the stones one by one and put them into the pot.

Every time the crow added a stone, the water came up a little. The crow continued doing this until the water was high enough to drink.

At last, the crow could drink the water. It was happy and felt good about its idea.

In a very dry area, a crow was searching for water because it was extremely thirsty. It flew over the empty land and at last, it found a jug with a bit of water at the bottom.

The crow wanted to drink badly, so it tried to put its beak into the jug. However, the jug was too deep and narrow for the crow to get to the water. It tried many times to reach the water by stretching its neck, but it couldn't succeed.

The crow thought about knocking the jug over to get the water, but the jug was firmly stuck in the sand, so tipping it was not possible.

Still determined to drink, the crow thought hard for a solution. Suddenly, it had a smart idea. It noticed some small stones around the jug. The crow picked up a stone with its beak and dropped it into the jug.

Each stone the crow dropped made the water level rise a bit. The crow kept adding stones, and slowly, the water level got high enough for it to drink.

Finally, the crow was able to drink the water. It felt very happy and proud of being so clever and persistent.

In a land as dry as a day-old scone, a thirsty crow found itself winging about, craving something wetter than a desert's sense of humor. You see, it's not easy being a crow in such a parched place, especially when one's got a thirst mightier than a dragon's love for treasure!

After what felt like a gazillion flaps of the wings, the crow spotted a pitcher, looking as inviting as a plate of cookies at granny's house. But alas, the water inside was farther away than the last time it rained around these parts - deep, narrow, and unreachable.

The crow, not one to be beaten by a mere container, tried to reach the water with its beak. "Oh, come on!" it squawked, stretching its neck this way and that. "I've seen teapots friendlier than you!" But the pitcher was as uncooperative as a cat at bath time.

Determined to sip that elusive H2-Oh-So-Good, the crow looked around and had a eureka moment. Well, more of a "I've got a plan, and it's as clever as a fox wearing glasses" moment. Pebbles, scattered around like breadcrumbs, were the key.

With a twinkle in its eye and a grin in its beak, the crow began to pick up the pebbles, one by one, dropping them into the pitcher. Plink! Plonk! Splash! The sounds were as delightful as a fairy tale's ending.

The water started to rise, higher and higher, like the hopes of a frog waiting for a kiss. Patiently, the crow kept at it, each pebble a step closer to victory. "What did one pebble say to the other?" it quipped. "I think we're making waves here!"

And just like that, the water was within reach. The crow dipped its beak into the pitcher, tasting victory. "Cheers!" it exclaimed, satisfied with its cleverness and persistence. "Now that's using the ol' noodle!"

And so, in a world where brains can beat a thirsty beak, the crow fluttered off, leaving behind a pitcher, pebbles, and a tale as bubbly as a giggle on a sunny day.

In a land where rivers ran shy,
A crow with a thirst nearly touched the sky.
Flying and searching, its beak all dry,
A pitcher it found, with water oh so nigh!

But alas, the water was far too deep,
The crow's beak couldn't reach, not even a seep!
Stretching and straining, with nary a sip,
The thirsty crow knew it needed a tip.

Then bright as the sun, a thought did appear,
Pebbles and stones lay scattered near!
One by one, with a purpose so clear,
The crow dropped them in, the solution was here!

With every pebble, the water rose high,
Closer and closer to the dry, thirsty sky.
Patiently working, not a wing did it flap,
Until the water was near, right in its lap!

A dip and a drink, a happy caw of delight,
The crow's clever trick had worked just right.
Satisfied and refreshed, off it flew in the light,
Knowing that wisdom had won its parched flight!

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Word Finder

  1. Thirsty

    Wanting or needing to drink water.

  2. Flew

    Moved through the air with wings.

  3. Pot

    A deep, round container for holding liquids.

  4. Deep

    Going far down from the top.

  5. Reach

    To stretch out an arm to get something.

  6. Stuck

    Unable to move from a place.

  7. Pushing

    Applying force to move something away.

  8. Idea

    A thought or plan in your mind.

  9. Stones

    Small pieces of rock.

  10. Continued

    Kept doing something without stopping.

  1. Thirsty

    Feeling a strong need to drink water.

  2. Jug

    A container for holding liquids with a narrow opening.

  3. Beak

    The hard, pointed part of a bird's mouth.

  4. Narrow

    Small in width; not wide.

  5. Succeed

    To achieve what you are trying to do.

  6. Firmly

    Very securely and strongly.

  7. Tipping

    Leaning or causing to lean to one side.

  8. Determined

    Strongly motivated to do something.

  9. Persistent

    Continuing to do something even though it is difficult.

  10. Clever

    Smart and able to solve problems.

Understanding Questions

  1. Where did the story happen?

    1. In a cold place.
    2. In a very hot place.
    3. In a forest.
    4. In a city.
  2. Why was the crow looking for water?

    1. It was hungry.
    2. It was very thirsty.
    3. It wanted to swim.
    4. It was looking for fish.
  3. What did the crow find that had a little water inside?

    1. A cup.
    2. A lake.
    3. A pot.
    4. A bucket.
  4. Why couldn’t the crow drink the water at first?

    1. The water was dirty.
    2. The pot was too deep.
    3. There was no water.
    4. The crow was not thirsty anymore.
  5. How did the crow finally get to drink the water?

    1. By breaking the pot.
    2. By asking another bird for help.
    3. By putting stones into the pot.
    4. By waiting for the rain.
  1. Why did the crow start looking for water in the very dry area?

  2. What problem did the crow encounter when it tried to drink water from the jug?

  3. What was the crow's first idea to get to the water, and why did it not work out?

  4. How did the crow manage to make the water level in the jug rise so it could drink?

  5. What qualities does the crow show in the story, and how did these qualities help it achieve its goal?

  1. How does the arid setting contribute to the challenge faced by the crow in the story?

  2. Describe the moment when the crow realizes it needs to find a way to access the water in the pitcher. What does this reveal about the crow's intelligence?

  3. Why do you think the author chose a crow as the main character in this story? What characteristics of a crow are highlighted in the narrative?

  4. Reflect on the significance of the crow's use of pebbles to solve its problem. What does this demonstrate about problem-solving and creativity?

  5. Discuss the emotions experienced by the crow throughout its journey to access the water. How do these emotions evolve from desperation to satisfaction?

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the crow decided to drop pebbles into the pitcher?
  2. How do you think the crow felt when it saw the water rising with every pebble it added?
  3. Can you think of a situation where you had to solve a problem in a creative or unconventional way?
  4. What does this story teach us about problem-solving and persistence?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story to face challenges in our lives with creativity and patience?

Fable Quotes

Necessity is the mother of invention.
When obstacles arise, persistence becomes the bridge to satisfaction.
In the hands of resourcefulness, small pebbles make great waves.
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