One hot day, a thirsty crow flew all over the fields looking for water.
For a long time, he could not find any.
He felt very weak and had almost lost all hope.
Suddenly, he saw a water jug below.
The crow flew down quickly and looked inside.
There was water at the bottom, but the crow could not reach it with his beak.
He tried pushing the jug over, but it was too heavy.
He tried putting his head inside, but the opening was too narrow.
The crow sat beside the jug and thought carefully.
Then he noticed some small stones lying nearby.
An idea came to him.
He picked up a stone and dropped it into the jug.
Plop!
The water rose slightly.
He picked up another stone.
Plop!
Again, the water rose.
The crow continued dropping stones into the jug, one after another.
Finally, the water rose high enough for him to drink.
He happily drank his fill and flew away refreshed.
A small sparrow watching nearby asked, “How did you know that would work?”
The crow smiled.
“I didn’t.”
The sparrow looked surprised.
“Then why did you keep trying?”
The crow replied, “Because giving up wouldn’t have made the water come any closer.”
The sparrow nodded.
The crow spread his wings and flew away.
Sometimes, the smartest solution isn’t the one you know immediately.
It’s the one you discover because you refuse to give up.
