The Curious Ant and the Wise Owl
Once upon a time, in a lush forest, there lived a curious little ant named Smaly. Smaly loved exploring the world around him, from the tiniest pebbles to the tallest trees. But what fascinated him most were the stars that twinkled in the night sky. One day, as Smaly scurried along the forest floor, he noticed a majestic owl perched on a branch. The owl, with its large, wise eyes, seemed to know everything about the world. Smaly couldn’t resist; he climbed up the tree to have a chat with the owl. “Hello, wise owl!” Smaly chirped. “Why do the stars shine so brightly? And why do they disappear during the day?” The owl blinked slowly and replied, “Ah, young ant, the stars hold secrets beyond your imagination.They burn with the fire of distant suns, millions of light-years away. But during the day, our own sun outshines them, making them invisible.”
Smaly listened intently, his curiosity growing. “But why do they twinkle?”
The owl chuckled. “Ah, they twinkle! Stars’ light travels through Earth’s atmosphere, which bends and twists it. That’s why they appear to dance. But remember, appearances can deceive.”
Smaly nodded, absorbing every word. “And what about the moon? Why does it change shape?”
The owl spread its wings. “The moon, my dear ant, orbits our Earth. As it moves, we see different parts illuminated by the sun. That’s why it waxes and wanes, like the phases of life.”
Smaly felt enlightened. “What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned, wise owl?”
The owl fixed its gaze on Smaly. “Patience,” it said. “The stars have existed for eons. They teach us that understanding the universe takes time. Be patient, little ant.”
And so, Smaly returned to his ant hill, pondering the owl’s wisdom. He watched the stars each night, marveling at their ancient glow. But he also learned to be patient, knowing that answers would reveal themselves when the time was right.
Years passed, and Smaly grew wiser.
One day, he met a young ant named Lily, who asked him about the stars. Smaly shared the knowledge he learnt from the owl’s teachings.
Lily listened, her eyes wide. “But Smaly,” she said, “why do we, ants, have to work so hard? What’s the purpose?”
Smaly smiled. “Lily our main goal is to construct, to get together, and to support one another. Much like the stars, our efforts matter—even if they seem small. And please remember that patience is our greatest virtue.”
The curious ant and the wise owl’s teachings echoed through the forest. Generations of ants looked up at the night sky, finding solace in the twinkling stars. They worked diligently, knowing that their even a tiny effort contributed to something greater.
And whenever a young ant asked about the stars, an older ant would say, “Be curious like Smaly, and patient like the owl. The secrets of the universe are revealed to those who always pay close attention.
And so, the forest thrived, guided by the wisdom of an ant and an owl—a lesson that transcended time and space.
Moral of the Story: Curiosity and patience are our guiding stars, leading us to knowledge and purpose.
Vocabulary
- lush (adj): having a lot of green, healthy plants, grass and trees
- curious (adj): eager to know or learn something
- fascinate (v): to attract; to strongly hold the interest of.
- scurry (v): to run quickly
- perch on (v): sit, as on a branch
- resist (v): to fight against
- blink (v): to shut and open your eyes quickly
- secret (n): a piece of information that is only known by one person or a few people and should not be told to others
- outshine (v): to be much more skillful and successful than someone
- invisible (adj): unable to be seen
- chuckle (v): laugh quietly
- atmosphere (n): a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet.
- deceive(v): to make someone believe something that is not true
- absorb (v): to take in
- illuminate (v): to light up
- enlighten (v): to gain incredible knowledge like Buddha.
- ponder (v): to consider carefully, reflect on
- reveal (v): to show, make known, make visible
- purpose (n): one's intention to do something.
- matter (v): to be important, or to affect what happens
- patience (n): a willingness to wait for someone or something without complaining
- echo (v): a reflected sound wave
- solace (n): comfort
- diligently (adv): industriously; in a hard-working manner
- contribute to (v): lead to, give something to
- transcend (v): to go further, rise above or be more important or better than something, especially a limit
- wax and wane (v) : increase and decrease alternatively
- gaze (n) : long long for a particular purpose
- thrive (v) : to grow, develop or be successful
- wisdom (n) : knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments
True/False Statement
Please read the story again and write T if the statement is true and F is the statement is False.
- _____ There are 2 characters in the story.
- _____The owl named Smaly.
- _____The Ant name Lily.
- _____The lust forest fascinated the ant very much.
- _____The ant chatted with the owl from the ground.
- _____The stars twinkle because of the light travels through the earth atmosphere.
- _____Smaly felt enlightened because of what he learn from the owl about the universe.
- _____The ant kept his knowledge. He didn't share with others in the forest.
- _____Smaly thinks that patience is the greatest virtue.
- _____The moral of the story is Curiosity and anxiety are our guiding stars, leading us to knowledge and purpose.
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