Once upon a time, there was a group of animals who lived in a country near a river. They had heard that there was a field in the country where grains grew as tall as them! So, one day, they all set out to find it. They walked and walked until they finally found it. Except, the field was guarded by a grumpy old bird who wouldn't let them come near the grains. The animals were so hungry, they didn't know what to do. Suddenly, one clever animal came up with an idea. They would build the bird a new, comfy nest in a nearby tree and then, in exchange, the bird would let them have some of the grains. So, they worked together and built the bird a beautiful new nest. When they showed it to the bird, she was so grateful that she let them have all the grains they wanted! From then on, the animals and the bird became the best of friends and shared the grains every day. The end.

Reflections

• What did the animals do to get access to the grains?
• Why did the bird allow the animals to have the grains?
• How did the relationship between the animals and the bird change by the end of the story?
• Can you think of another way the animals could have gotten access to the grains?
• What lesson did the animals learn in this story?