After wandering the desert for what seems like days, you come to an oasis. At the oasis, you encounter a stone altar, too heavy to move, a ziggurat of pebbles, and a pitcher of water cemented to the top of the altar. You’re incredibly thirsty, but unable to reach the water because the level is too low and you cannot overturn the pitcher because it’s stuck in place. How can you quench your thirst?
Answer: The above scenario is a version of Aesop’s fable The Crow & the Pitcher. This is the Library of Congress’ rendition of the Greek fable:
“In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he must die of thirst. Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble, the water rose a little higher until at last, it was near enough so he could drink.”