On a very hot summer day, a thirsty crow flew everywhere searching for water. At last he found a pitcher standing in a garden, with a little water at the very bottom.

The crow tried to dip his beak in to drink, but the water was too low, no matter how far he stretched his neck. He tried to tip the pitcher over, but it was much too heavy for him.

The crow sat and thought for a while. Then he noticed some small pebbles scattered on the ground nearby. An idea came to him, and he began picking up the pebbles one by one and dropping them into the pitcher.

With every pebble he added, the water rose a little higher inside the pitcher. Patiently, the crow kept collecting pebbles and dropping them in, until at last the water rose high enough to reach.

The crow drank the cool water and flew away happily, having learned that calm thinking and patience can solve problems that seem impossible.

The Lesson: Clever, patient thinking can solve even the hardest problems.