The Persevering Crow and the Brave Ants

Once upon a time, there was a thirsty crow. He was flying in search of water for hours, and his throat was parched. Finally, he spotted a small pot in a field, but it was empty. The crow was dejected and sat on the edge of the pot, wondering how he could quench his thirst. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him. He flew to a nearby river and picked up small pebbles in his beak. He then flew back to the pot and dropped the pebbles into it, one by one. The water level rose with each pebble, and before long, it reached the brim. The crow drank to his heart's content, feeling grateful for his quick thinking and perseverance. As he was about to fly away, he saw a group of ants struggling to cross a puddle. The crow felt a pang of kindness and offered to help them. He flew back to the river, picked up bigger pebbles, and dropped them into the puddle to make a bridge. The ants were overjoyed and walked over the bridge safely. The crow felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. He realized that if we have willingness and determination, anything can be achieved. But just as he was about to fly away, the crow heard a loud squawking behind him. To his horror, he saw a group of ducks waddling towards him, shaking their heads and flapping their wings. "What do you think you're doing, you silly crow?" said the biggest duck. "I was just helping the ants cross the puddle," said the crow, trying to reason with the ducks. "You're not supposed to do that," said the duck. "It's against the rules. We don't like outsiders meddling in our affairs." The crow felt ashamed and embarrassed. He had thought he was doing a good deed, but instead, he had caused trouble. But then, something unexpected happened. The ants came to the crow's defense, marching in a straight line towards the ducks. "Leave him alone!" they shouted in unison. The ducks were taken aback and didn't know what to do. They had never seen such bravery from tiny creatures before. They muttered among themselves and finally relented. "Fine," said the biggest duck. "We'll let you off this time. But don't let it happen again." The crow felt relieved and grateful towards the ants. He realized that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference if they stick together and stand up for what's right. And so, the crow flew away, learning a valuable lesson about determination, kindness, and the power of unity.