Once upon a time there was a little stick. It liked to boast about how straight and strong it was. One day, while it was bragging, it heard a growl. It turned around and saw a slurping monster coming towards it. The little stick was so scared that it ran as fast as it could. But the monster was right behind it, slurping loudly. Finally, the little stick came up with a plan. It stuck itself in the ground and stood tall and straight. When the monster got close, it looked up and saw how strong the little stick was. The monster was so impressed that it slurped away without bothering the little stick ever again. From that day on, the little stick never boasted again, but it always remembered the lesson it learned.

Reflections

1. What did the stick do when it heard the growl?
2. How did the stick stop the monster from slurping it up?
3. Why did the stick stop boasting after the incident with the monster?