The Copy Book

The Crow and the Pitcher

Brute force is no substitute for quick thinking.

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Rajesh ramesh gaikwad. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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The Crow and the Pitcher

Rajesh ramesh gaikwad. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0. Source
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A crow examines the water in a pitcher suspended high up in a tree.

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Introduction

As the old military maxim goes, Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.

AN extremely thirsty crow stumbled across a pitcher, and when she peered inside she found that it was half-filled with water. But the neck was very narrow, and try as she might she could neither reach the water with her beak, nor summon up sufficient force to tip the pitcher on its side.

This particular crow, however, was nothing if not resourceful. After a few moments to reason it all out, she started to drop little stones into the urn, one by one. The water rose higher and higher with each pebble, and eventually the crow was able to dip her beak into the brimming pitcher and quench her thirst.*

And the moral of that is, that brain is better than brawn.

Based on a Latin fable attributed to Romulus Anglicus (supposedly fifth century) as given at Aesopica by Laura Gibbs. Additional information from ‘Plutarch’s Essays and Miscellanies’ Vol. 5 (1898, 1905) translated by John Philips. ].

* Plutarch (49-119+) in his Moralia admitted that he could not imagine the ordinary Libyan crow doing such a thing. “Then again,” he added thoughtfully, “when I saw a ship dog, in the absence of the seamen, putting in stones in a half-empty jar of oil, it was to me a wonder how that dog should understand that the pressure of the heavier weight would make the lighter rise.”

Précis

A thirsty crow found a jug of water, but she could not reach far enough inside. After trying and failing to push it over, she changed tack and dropped pebbles into it until the water reached the top. A few moments’ thought can save a lot of wasted energy. (49 / 60 words)

A thirsty crow found a jug of water, but she could not reach far enough inside. After trying and failing to push it over, she changed tack and dropped pebbles into it until the water reached the top. A few moments’ thought can save a lot of wasted energy.

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Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, just, must, since, unless, whereas.

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Word Games

Sevens Based on this passage

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

Why could the thirsty crow not drink from the pitcher?

Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.

Jigsaws Based on this passage

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

The pitcher was not full. The crow was disappointed. She could not reach the water.

Spinners Find in Think and Speak

For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1 Dip. Resource. Start.

2 Neither. Up. Water.

3 High. Nothing. Thirst.

Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)

Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak

Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.

crt (6+4)

See Words

cart. court. crate. create. curate. curt.

carat. caret. cert. cruet.

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