The Thirsty Crow

On a scorching summer day, a crow named Cora flew across dry fields looking for water.

Her throat was dusty. Her wings felt heavy.

She searched rivers, but they were low.

She searched puddles, but they were gone.

At last, Cora spotted a pitcher near a farmhouse.

She landed beside it and peered inside.

There was water—but only a little, sitting at the bottom.

Cora tried to drink.

She pushed her beak in as far as she could.

Still, she couldn’t reach the water.

For a moment, Cora felt hopeless.

Then she took a step back and looked carefully.

“The water is there,” she thought. “I just need to bring it up.”

Cora scanned the ground and saw small pebbles.

She picked one up in her beak and dropped it into the pitcher.

Plink.

She looked again.

The water rose just a tiny bit.

Cora smiled.

She picked up another pebble.

Plink.

Then another.

Plink.

Pebble after pebble, Cora worked patiently.

It wasn’t fast.

It wasn’t easy.

But with each pebble, the water level rose.

At last, the water was high enough.

Cora dipped her beak and drank.

Cool water filled her throat.

Cora felt alive again.

As she flew away, she thought about what she had learned:

Sometimes the answer isn’t strength.

Sometimes the answer is thinking.

And sometimes, the best solutions come one small step at a time.