The Crow and the Pitcher

This story is called The Crow and the Pitcher, a fable by Aesop, read by Molly. This is a LibraryCall adaptation and recording. One summer day, a relentless heat beat down upon the earth. High up in the sky, a thirsty Crow had been flying for hours in search of water. Her beak and feathers were bone dry, and she knew she needed to find water soon. Just when the Crow was about to lose hope, she spotted something shiny on a picnic table in the distance. It was a pitcher! The Crow was filled with relief as she flew towards it. She landed on the picnic table and took a closer look. The pitcher was tall, with a narrow opening at the top. She peered inside. She saw that there was water inside! But it was not very much – only a few inches of liquid left at the bottom. The Crow dipped her beak into the pitcher, eager to find comfort in a refreshing sip. "Oh no!" exclaimed the Crow. "My beak isn’t long enough to reach the water!" For a moment, she felt overwhelmed by frustration and thirst! But the Crow was clever and didn't give up easily. Suddenly, she had an idea. "Hmm, I can't reach the water with my beak, but maybe instead I can make the water reach up to me?" she thought. The Crow looked around and found some small pebbles nearby. She picked up a pebble with her beak and dropped it into the pitcher. The Crow watched closely as the water level rose just a tiny bit. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Feeling encouraged, the Crow picked up another pebble and dropped it into the pitcher. Splash! The water rose a little more. The Crow grinned and thought, "Little by little, I'll get to that water!" As the Crow gathered pebbles and slowly plunked them into the pitcher, a curious Squirrel scampered over to the picnic table. With wide eyes, the Squirrel watched the Crow work. "Crow, what are you doing? Do you really think those little pebbles will help you reach the water?" the Squirrel asked. The Crow paused for a moment, catching her breath. She looked up at the Squirrel with a glimmer of determination in her eyes. "I understand your doubt, Squirrel! It may take a while, but pebble by pebble, I will get to the water.” The Squirrel, still unsure of the Crow's plan, chattered and shook his head. "It seems impossible to me, Crow. You're wasting your time. There must be an easier way to get water,” he called as he darted back into a nearby tree to wait out the heat of the day. The clever Crow continued to drop one pebble after another into the pitcher. Each time, the water level rose a little higher. The Crow's determination grew stronger with every drop. Finally, after dropping in a few more pebbles, the Crow let out an excited “caw!” The water had risen high enough for the Crow to reach it with her beak. She took a long, refreshing drink and quenched her terrible thirst. The Crow learned an important lesson that day. Even though the water had seemed impossible to reach at first, and even though each pebble only helped a little, all together, the pebbles made a big difference. "Little by little did the trick!" she exclaimed. Filled with joy, the Crow flew away, feeling clever and not the least bit thirsty. This has been The Crow and the Pitcher, a fable by Aesop, read by Molly. This was a LibraryCall adaptation and recording.