The Ant and the Dove
A Dove drops a leaf into the brook and saves a little Ant from the rushing water. Soon after, the Ant bites a bird-catcher on the heel, and the Dove flies safely away.
Scene 1: Into the Brook
The Ant and the Dove. One hot day, a little Ant went down to the bank of a brook to drink. But the rushing water swept her away! The Ant struggled and struggled, but she could not reach the bank.
Scene 2: A Leaf Falls
A Dove was sitting in a tree that hung over the water. She saw the Ant, and she felt sorry for her. The Dove plucked a leaf with her beak. She let it fall into the stream, close beside the Ant.
Scene 3: Safe Ashore
The Ant climbed onto the leaf. She clung to it like a shipwrecked sailor, and floated safely to the bank.
Scene 4: The Bird-Catcher
Soon after, a bird-catcher came and stood under the tree. He held up a long pole with sticky twigs, to catch the Dove sitting in the branches. The Dove did not see him. But the Ant did, and she knew just what he meant to do.
Scene 5: Away to the Wood
The Ant ran to the man’s foot, and bit him on the heel! The bird-catcher jumped, and threw down his twigs with a clatter. The noise startled the Dove, and she flew safely away to a distant wood. A kindness is never wasted.
Moral: A kindness is never wasted.
Questions about The Ant and the Dove
Why did the Ant go down to the brook?
To drink.
Where was the Dove sitting?
In a tree over the water.
What did the Dove drop into the stream?
A leaf.
What did the bird-catcher hold up to catch the Dove?
A long pole with sticky twigs.
How did the Ant help the Dove?
She bit the man on the heel.
More stories to read aloud
- The Lion and the Mouse — A Lion catches a little Mouse but laughs and lets her go when she promises to repay him.
- The Hare and the Tortoise — A boastful Hare laughs at the slow Tortoise, so the Tortoise challenges him to a race.
- Belling the Cat — The Mice hold a council and a young Mouse has a clever plan: hang a bell about the Cat’s neck.