Three Little Birds
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Three talkative birds learn that not everyone likes the same things and that trying something new can be rewarding. Students will read the story and answer questions about character, setting, and the lesson of the story.
Topic(s): Fairy Tales & Fables, Science Fiction / Fantasy. Skill(s): Theme, Story Elements. Genre(s): Prose
Early one morning, three little birds sat together on a fence. Stan was a blackbird. Jan was a bluebird. And Little Sue was a tiny brown sparrow. The birds were friends. They liked to talk before breakfast.
“I am very, very hungry,” said Stan. He scratched his black belly with his yellow beak.
“Me, too,” said Jan. A funny growling sound came from her belly.
“I am going to find a big, fat worm to eat!” crowed Stan. “They are my favorite.”
“Me, too!” said Jan.
“What about you, Little Sue?” asked Stan. He looked over Jan’s head at his small friend. “Would you like to find a juicy worm to eat?”
Little Sue shook her head. “No, thank you,” she said quietly.
“Why not?” asked Stan. “Worms are delicious!”
Little Sue blinked. “I don’t like them.”
“What?” cried Stan. “But everyone likes worms!”
“I know I do,” added Jan. She turned to look down at Little Sue. “Why don’t you?”
Little Sue said softly, “My mother likes worms, but I do not.”
Stan squawked. “But almost all birds eat worms. They help you grow big and strong. Don’t you want to be big?”
Little Sue thought for a moment. “Not all birds are very big. Sparrows are small. I do not need to grow much.”
Jan flapped her wings. “Don’t you want to fly high in the sky?”
Little Sue looked up at a puffy white cloud. “My wings are small. I fly enough to help me find food. I do not need to go far.”
Stan shook his head. “But birds eat worms. Are you a real bird?”
Little Sue smiled. She hopped down from the fence and flapped her wings. “I can fly like a bird,” she said. “I just like different things.”
“Well, what do you eat?” asked Jan.
“I like to eat seeds,” said Little Sue. “Would you like to try some?”
Stan and Jan looked at each other. They were very hungry. Little Sue flew over to a sunflower. “Try these seeds!” she called. She began to pick seeds off the ground with her beak.
Stan and Jan flew over to taste the seeds. “Yum!” they cried.
And the three birds enjoyed their breakfast together.
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