Once upon a time, in a small town, there lived many animals who lived on the floodplain. One day, a big and destructive hurricane hit the town and caused a lot of damage to the ecosystem. The animals were worried about how they would protect themselves from future hurricanes.

So, they decided to build a dike around their area to keep the water out. But, the problem was that the dike had a limited capacity to absorb the water. Every year, during the annual hurricane season, the animals would worry about the dike breaking and causing even more destruction.

One day, a wise old owl came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested that instead of just trying to keep the water out, they should try to use it to their advantage. The animals listened to the owl's advice and built a beautiful lake right in the middle of the floodplain.

The lake not only helped absorb the excess water during the hurricanes but also provided a new home for many fish and other aquatic creatures, adding to the diversity of the ecosystem. And, the animals lived happily ever after, without having to worry about the destructive effects of hurricanes anymore!

Reflections

1. What problem did the animals face in the beginning of the story?
2. Who came up with the idea to build a lake instead of a dike?
3. What was the benefit of building the lake?
4. How did the lake help the ecosystem?
5. What was the outcome for the animals after the lake was built?