The Crow and the Pitcher

A Crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and, hoping to find water, flew to it with great delight When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry, and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach, and thus saved his life.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

From The Crow and the Pitcher by Aesop, translated by George Fyler Townsend (1867). Public domain.

Check your understanding

1. What initial problem does the Crow face upon finding the pitcher?

The pitcher is completely empty.The water level is too low for him to reach.The pitcher is too heavy to tip over.The stones block his access to the water.

2. What does the phrase 'Necessity is the mother of invention' mean in the context of the passage?

Desperation forces one to find creative solutions.Mothers always know how to invent things.Nature provides the tools needed for survival.Thirst is the most dangerous necessity.

3. How does the author use contrasting emotions to build the narrative arc in this brief passage?

4. The author concludes the narrative with the explicit moral, 'Necessity is the mother of invention.' Evaluate whether the preceding story effectively proves this statement using evidence from the text.

5. Defend or challenge the following statement: The crow's success was a result of patience rather than just a single moment of cleverness. Support your argument with text.