The Crow nd The Pitcher

I just couldn't resist sharing this Aesop fable with you all. It is found in First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise.


A large black crow flew over a long stretch of parched land. He grew thirstier and thirstier! At the edge of a village, he spied a large, deep pitcher at the edge of a patio. He flew down for a drink. To his dismay, there was so little water in the bottom of the pitcher that he could not reach it with his beak.
"I'll push the pitcher over and drink what spills," he thought. But the pitcher was too heavy.
"I'll stretch until I can reach the bottom of the pitcher," he said. But his neck was too short.
"I am too tired to try again," he sighed. So he hopped over into the shade of a tree to think about what else could be done.
As he rested in the cool shade, he noticed a number of large pebbles around the edge of the patio. "I know!" he said to himself. "I can pick up these pebbles one at a time and drop them into the pitcher. As they sink to the bottom, the water will rise above them. Maybe I can collect enough pebbles to make the water rise so that I can reach it."
So he collected the pebbles, one by one, and dropped them into the pitcher. Slowly, pebble by pebble, the water rose. And finally the thirsty crow plunged his beak into the water. He drank until he was full. Refreshed, he spread his wings and flew away.

Moral: Many hard things can be accomplished with patience and perseverance.