The Seagull and The Kite
A Seagull ate a big fish and got stuck, a passing Kite scolded him for eating out of his element.
One day, a kite was soaring high in the sky, dancing among the clouds. It looked down and spotted a tiny moth flying low in the valley below.
“Look at you, so small!” the kite called out. “You can barely fly, while I soar so high above everything. You must be jealous of me!”
The moth fluttered its wings and replied calmly, “Jealous? Not at all! You might fly high, but you’re tied to a string. Someone controls where you go. Is that really freedom?”
The kite wobbled a little in the wind. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” said the moth, “while I might not fly as high as you, I can go wherever I want. I’m free to choose my own path. You, on the other hand, spend your days just spinning in circles because someone else pulls your string. That doesn’t sound like fun to me!”
The kite didn’t know what to say. It kept spinning in the wind, while the moth happily flew wherever its heart desired.
Audio available for B1 version
One day, a kite was soaring high in the sky, dancing among the clouds.
It looked down and spotted a tiny moth flying low in the valley below.
“Look at you, so small!” the kite called out.
“You can barely fly, while I soar so high above everything.
You must be jealous of me!”
The moth fluttered its wings and replied calmly, “Jealous? Not at all!
You might fly high, but you’re tied to a string.
Someone controls where you go.
Is that really freedom?”
The kite wobbled a little in the wind.
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” said the moth, “while I might not fly as high as you, I can go wherever I want.
I’m free to choose my own path.
You, on the other hand, spend your days just spinning in circles because someone else pulls your string.
That doesn’t sound like fun to me!”
The kite didn’t know what to say.
It kept spinning in the wind, while the moth happily flew wherever its heart desired.
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Word Finder
Soaring
Flying high in the sky with ease.Spotted
Noticed or saw something with your eyes.Valley
A low area of land between hills or mountains.Jealous
Wanting what someone else has or enjoys.Fluttered
Moved quickly and lightly, like wings flapping.Calmly
In a peaceful and quiet way, without anger.Wobbled
Moved unsteadily from side to side or shook.Freedom
The ability to do what you want or choose.Circles
Round shapes with no corners, like a wheel.Path
A way or direction to follow or go.
Understanding Questions
- What did the kite notice when it looked down from the sky?
- How did the kite describe the moth when it called out to it?
- What question did the moth ask the kite about its freedom?
- Why did the moth say it was happier than the kite?
- What did the kite do at the end of the story?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Seagull chose to eat the big, shiny fish without thinking first?
- How do you think the Seagull felt when the Kite pointed out his mistake?
- Can you think of a time when you made a quick decision that you later regretted, like the Seagull?
- What lesson do you think the Kite was trying to teach the Seagull?
- How can we apply this story's lesson to our own lives, to think before we act?
Fable Quotes
To be free is to move in the direction of one’s choice, not at the whim of another.
Contentment is not reaching the highest heights but enjoying the flight, however high or low.
Sometimes, the highest flyers need to look down to see the truth below.
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