High up in the leafy branches of a big oak tree lived a crow named Corby. Corby wasn't just any crow; he was a very curious and thoughtful bird. He loved watching the world below, the busy ants, the wiggling worms, and the children playing in the garden. One bright, warm afternoon, the sun shone down with all its might, and Corby felt very, very thirsty.
He flew down from his tree, hoping to find a puddle or a bird bath. He spotted something promising in the garden – a tall, narrow jug with a little bit of water inside! Corby landed neatly on the edge of the jug and peered down. Oh dear! The water was at the very bottom, far too low for him to reach with his beak. He tried tilting his head, stretching his neck as far as it would go, but it was no use.
Corby hopped off the jug feeling a little discouraged. He walked around it, looking closely at the jug, the water, and the ground nearby. He noticed lots of little pebbles and stones scattered on the path. His clever eyes twinkled as he thought. He remembered seeing how when he dropped a berry into his water bowl, the water splashed up a little. Could something else make the water go up?
He looked back at the pebbles. Yes, maybe! It was a long shot, but Corby was a crow who liked to try. He picked up a small, smooth pebble in his strong beak. It was a little heavy, but he managed to lift it.
He flew back to the edge of the jug and carefully dropped the pebble inside. *Plink!* He watched closely. The water level barely seemed to move, but maybe, just maybe, it went up a tiny, tiny bit. It was hard to tell.
Corby knew that one pebble wasn't enough. He flew back down and picked up another pebble. And another. And another! He worked steadily, flying back and forth, picking up pebbles and dropping them into the jug. *Plink! Plink! Plink!*
It took a long time, and his beak felt a little tired, and his wings got a small rest each time he was on the ground. But Corby didn't give up. He was patient. He knew that sometimes, big problems needed lots of little steps to solve them.
He kept adding pebbles, one after another after another. The water in the jug began to rise. Slowly, steadily, with each *plink* of a new stone, the water level crept higher and higher up the inside of the jug.
Finally, after many, many pebbles, the water was high enough! Corby dipped his beak down and took a long, wonderful, cool drink. Ahh, that was exactly what he needed on a warm day.
Corby felt so pleased with himself. He hadn't been able to reach the water at first, but by thinking carefully, watching the world around him, and working patiently, he had solved his problem all by himself. As the sun began to dip low, Corby the clever crow settled down in his tree, ready for a well-earned sleep, knowing that using your brain is a wonderful thing.