The Crow and the Pitcher
烏鴉與水瓶
A thirsty crow cannot find a drop of water anywhere, until patient work with small stones brings the water up to him.
The story
Once, in the middle of summer, the fields lay dry and pale under a hot sun, cracked into thin little lines, and even the breeze felt warm. A crow had been flying for a long, long time. His wings ached, and his throat was so dry it hurt. He flew over field after field without seeing a single drop of water, until at last he landed on a low wall beside the road, panting and looking all around.
Just then he spotted an old pitcher standing in the corner by the wall, its sides a pale dusty yellow, its neck narrow. The crow's eyes lit up at once, and he swooped down and pushed his head into the opening. He could smell cool water inside. But no matter how far he stretched his neck, his beak fell just short of the water — only a thin puddle lay at the very bottom.
The crow would not give up so easily. He pushed hard at the pitcher with his wing, but it only rocked in place. He pecked at its side, but the thick clay would not budge. Round and round the pitcher he hopped, worried and frustrated, and more than once he almost flew off to try his luck somewhere else.
He stopped to catch his breath, ready to leave, when something caught his eye — a scatter of small stones on the ground. The crow tilted his head and thought for a moment. If his beak could not reach down to the water, then perhaps the water could be made to come up instead. He picked up one small stone and dropped it gently into the pitcher. A soft *plink*, and the water trembled — and rose, just a little.
His heart steadied. He flew off for a second stone, then a third, then a fourth, back and forth, trip after trip. His wings grew tired, but he did not complain, and he did not stop just because nothing seemed to change at first. The shadow along the wall crept slowly across the ground, and the light softened into evening, and still the crow kept dropping stones, one after another.
Stone by stone sank to the bottom, and little by little the water climbed, until at last it reached near the rim. The crow lowered his head and finally drank the water he had waited all day for, cool and sweet against his dry throat. He gave his wings a good shake, and his strength came flooding back.
As dusk settled softly over the fields, the crow flew away from the old pitcher, content, toward the trees for the night. He had learned that not every hard problem can be solved by force. A calm mind, patience, and many small steps — one at a time — can open a way through even the hardest of them.
Story takeaway
When strength is not enough, a calm mind and small patient steps can solve what force alone cannot.
Talk together
If you were the crow, besides dropping in stones, what else might you try to reach the water?
For grown-ups
Parent note
A good story to share when your child is stuck on a problem that will not budge. The crow's pushing and pecking got him nowhere, but instead of giving up, he stopped, thought, and solved it one small stone at a time. Talk together about how pausing to think often works better than forcing something harder, and how big goals — like the crow's — are often reached through many small, patient steps rather than one big effort.
Words to learn
- parched: very dry, especially from thirst or heat. e.g. The crow's throat felt parched after his long flight.
- frustrated: upset because something is not working the way you want. e.g. The crow hopped around the pitcher, frustrated that he could not reach the water.
- patient: able to keep trying calmly without rushing or giving up. e.g. The crow was patient, dropping in one stone at a time.
Reading activity
Play a little game of "one small step at a time" — say a few lines and see if your child can tell which ones show patience, small step by step, and which show one quick burst of force: "The crow dropped in stones one by one until the water rose." → patience, one small step at a time. "Kicking over the block tower in one go." → force, over in one move. "Practicing five new spelling words every day until you can write a whole story." → patience, one small step at a time. At the end, wonder together: what might have happened if the crow had given up after the first stone?
Source information
Aesop · Project Gutenberg public-domain fables
Public-domain fables and short tales from Project Gutenberg.
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