The Bold Little Boat and the Crow
A short story about a bold little boat. It can be used to practice the vowel sound / oʊ / as in "go."
There was once a boat that lived on the coast. He was very proud of himself and liked to boast. “I’m the best boat in the world,” he would say. “I can float on the water and sail away. No one can catch me or make me stop. I’m faster than a fish and stronger than a rock.”
One day, a crow heard him and decided to teach him a lesson. He flew down and landed on his mast. “Hello, boat,” he said. “You seem very bold. But do you know what I can do? I can fly in the sky and see everything below. I can go where you can’t and see what you don’t. I’m smarter than a fox and wiser than an owl.”
The boat was annoyed by the crow’s words. He wanted to prove him wrong. “Oh, yeah?” he said. “Well, I can do something you can’t. I can blow my horn and make a loud sound. It can scare away anyone who comes near me. It’s louder than a lion and more powerful than a storm.”
The boat blew his horn with all his might. But he didn’t notice that the wind was blowing too. The wind caught his sail and pushed him away from the coast. He tried to steer back, but it was too late. He was drifting into the open sea, where he had never been before. He felt scared and lonely. He wished he had stayed on the coast. The crow saw what happened and felt sorry for him.
He flew after him and said, “Don’t worry, boat. I’ll help you get back to the coast. Just follow me and I’ll show you the way.” The boat was grateful for the crow’s help. He realized that he had been foolish and rude. He learned to be humble and kind. He thanked the crow and said, “You are a good friend. I’m sorry for what I said. You are better than me in many ways. I have much to learn from you.”
The crow smiled and said, “You are welcome, boat. You are not so bad yourself. You have many skills that I admire. We can learn from each other.” They became friends and sailed back to the coast together. They never boasted again.
- What did the boat like to do?
- What did the crow say to the boat?
- What happened when the boat blew his horn?
- How did the crow help the boat?
- What did the boat learn from his experience?
Boat: A small vessel for travel on water
Coast: Land along the sea
Boast: To brag or show off
Float: To rest on the surface of a liquid
Crow: A large black bird
Bold: Brave and confident
Blow: To produce a current of air
Horn: A device that makes a loud noise
Wind: Air in motion
Sail: A piece of material used to catch the wind and propel a boat
Drift: To be carried along by currents of air or water
Open sea: The vast expanse of ocean
Scared: Afraid or frightened
Lonely: Feeling alone and sad
Humble: Modest and not arrogant
