The crow and the pitcher

“The crow and the pitcher” tells the story of a thirsty crow who uses his wits to drink from a pitcher that’s too deep for him to reach. It’s a great lesson in using creativity to overcome challenges.

In this article, we offer two versions of the fable: the original and a simplified graded reader, perfect for younger English learners. With fun questions at the end, your child will learn new vocabulary and build comprehension skills while enjoying the clever crow’s story.

Want more engaging learning experiences? The Studycat Learn English app has plenty of stories, games, and lessons to make language learning fun!

Let’s leap into the story of The Crow and the Pitcher and see how clever thinking can save the day!

The story of “The crow and the pitcher”

Once upon a time, during a hot, dry summer, a thirsty crow was flying over the countryside searching for water. The sun beat down, and the poor crow’s throat was parched. After a long while, he spotted a pitcher sitting in the shade of a tree. Excited, the crow flew down, hoping to find water inside.

When he reached the pitcher, he looked inside and saw that there was some water at the bottom—but there was a problem. The pitcher was tall and narrow, and no matter how hard he tried, the crow couldn’t reach the water with his beak.

He tilted the pitcher, pushed it with his wings, and even tried sticking his beak inside, but the water was just too far down.

Feeling frustrated, the crow nearly gave up. But then, he had a clever idea. He noticed some small pebbles scattered around the ground. The crow thought, “If I drop these pebbles into the pitcher, the water level might rise high enough for me to reach.”

Determined, the crow began picking up one pebble at a time and dropping it into the pitcher.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

With each pebble, the water level rose just a little bit.

The crow kept at it, picking up pebbles and dropping them in.

Slowly but surely, the water rose higher and higher.

At last, after many pebbles, the water was high enough for the crow to drink. He dipped his beak into the pitcher and drank deeply, quenching his thirst at last.

The crow flew away, feeling proud of his cleverness and determination. He had solved the problem not by giving up, but by using his wits and patience.

The End.

The moral of “The crow and the pitcher”

Using your wits and thinking creatively can help you solve tough problems.
The crow couldn’t use brute force to tip over the pitcher or reach the water, but by thinking creatively, he found a way to make the water rise. The story teaches us that even when things seem difficult, a smart solution can make all the difference.

Questions about “The crow and the pitcher”

1. What was the crow searching for on the hot day?
2. What problem did the crow face when he found the pitcher?
3. How did the crow make the water rise in the pitcher?
4. What happened after the crow dropped enough pebbles into the pitcher?
5. What lesson does this story teach us?

Answers

1. The crow was searching for water because he was thirsty.
2. The water in the pitcher was too low for the crow to reach with his beak.
3. The crow dropped pebbles into the pitcher, making the water rise.
4. After dropping enough pebbles, the water rose high enough for the crow to drink.
5. The story teaches us that clever thinking and patience can help solve difficult problems.

Words to learn

• Crow: A large black bird known for being clever. In this story, the crow uses his intelligence to solve a problem.
• Pitcher: A container used for holding liquids like water. The crow found a pitcher with water in it but couldn’t reach the water.
• Pebbles: Small stones. The crow dropped pebbles into the pitcher to raise the water level.
• Thirsty: Needing water to drink. The crow was thirsty on a hot day and needed to find water.
• Solution: A way to solve a problem. The crow found a solution by using pebbles to raise the water.

What type of story is “The crow and the pitcher”?

The Crow and the Pitcher is a fable, a short story that teaches a moral or lesson, often using animals as characters.

Who wrote “The crow and the pitcher”?

The Crow and the Pitcher is a fable by Aesop, a famous storyteller from ancient Greece. You can learn more about Aesop here.

When was “The crow and the pitcher” written?

The Crow and the Pitcher was written more than 2,500 years ago, as part of Aesop’s Fables.

Who are the main characters in “The crow and the pitcher”?

The main character is the crow, who uses his clever thinking to raise the water in the pitcher so he can drink.

What lesson can we learn from “The crow and the pitcher”?

We learn that creative thinking and patience can help us overcome challenges. The crow didn’t give up when he couldn’t reach the water—he found a smart solution instead.

”The crow and the pitcher” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)

One hot day, a crow was very thirsty.

He flew around looking for water.

At last, he found a pitcher.

But when the crow looked inside, there was only a little bit of water at the bottom.

The crow tried to drink the water, but his beak couldn’t reach it.

The water was too low.

The crow thought for a moment.

Then, he had an idea.

He saw some small stones nearby.

One by one, the crow picked up the stones and dropped them into the pitcher.

With each stone, the water rose a little higher.

Soon, the water was high enough for the crow to drink.

The clever crow drank the water and flew away happily!

Fun fact!

Did you know? Crows are known to be one of the most intelligent birds in the animal kingdom. They have been observed using tools, solving puzzles, and even remembering human faces!