The Ant and The Dove

An ant falls into water and is saved by a dove, and later the ant saves the dove from a hunter.

One hot day, a little ant was very thirsty. He went down to a river to drink some water. While trying to drink, the ant slipped and fell into the water. The ant struggled and could not swim well, so he started to drown. He tried to climb out, but the current was too strong for him.

A dove was sitting on a tree branch nearby and saw the ant in trouble. The dove quickly picked a large leaf and dropped it into the water near the ant. The ant climbed onto the leaf and floated safely to the riverbank. The ant was very grateful and thanked the dove for saving his life.

A few days later, the ant saw a hunter with a bow and arrow. The hunter was trying to shoot the dove. The ant wanted to help his friend. He quietly crawled up to the hunter and bit him on the foot. The hunter yelled in pain and dropped the bow. The dove heard the noise and flew away to safety.

Both the ant and the dove were happy to help each other.

A dove dropping a leaf to rescue a struggling ant from the water below
Text Version
Levels A1B1C1

Audio available for B1 version

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Word Finder
  1. Thirsty

    Wanting to drink water very much.
  2. Struggled

    Tried very hard to do something.
  3. Drown

    Die because you can't breathe underwater.
  4. Current

    Fast-moving water in a river or sea.
  5. Nearby

    Close to a place or person.
  6. Grateful

    Feeling thankful for someone's help.
  7. Hunter

    Person who catches or kills animals.
  8. Bow

    A weapon used to shoot arrows.
  9. Arrow

    A pointed stick shot from a bow.
  10. Bit

    To use your teeth to cut something.
Understanding Questions
  1. Why did the little ant go down to the river?
  2. What happened to the ant when he tried to drink water from the river?
  3. How did the dove help the ant when he was in the river?
  4. What did the ant do to help the dove when he saw the hunter?
  5. How did the dove escape from the hunter?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why did the dove decide to help the ant even though they are different types of creatures?
  2. How do you think the ant felt when it was struggling in the water and then saved by the dove?
  3. Can you remember a time when someone helped you when you were in trouble?
  4. What does this story teach us about kindness, gratitude, and helping others regardless of their size or kind?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our own lives to help others when they are in need, even if they are different from us?
Fable Quotes

In the depths of adversity, gratitude blooms as bonds of kindness are forged and lifesaving acts of compassion are repaid.

Be kind, and you'll find kindness returning to you.

Empathy bridges the gaps between different beings, allowing kindness to flow and lives to be saved.

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