In a far-off land, there was a Swallow, swift and alert. One day, as she was flying high above the earth, she saw some shiny little objects scattered across a farmer's field. Hovering down for a closer look, she noticed these were not ordinary seeds but hemp seeds, the kind used to grow strong fibers.
The Swallow, being wise and thoughtful, recognized the potential danger these seeds could bring. She understood that if these seeds were to sprout, grow, and be harvested, they might be spun into threads and woven into nets - tools that could pose a risk to all birds, herself included.
Taking the initiative, the swallow gathered all the birds in the area and warned them about the perilous seeds. The swallow urged the others, "We must eat these seeds now while they are still harmless. If we let them grow, they might become the means of our own capture."
Unfortunately, the other birds brushed off the swallow's advice. They thought the swallow was being overly cautious and paranoid. After all, the seeds were just seeds, and the nets were far away in the human world.
Ignoring the swallow's advice, the birds continued with their daily routines. The swallow, however, persisted and ate as many hemp seeds as it could, but one bird could only do so much.
As time passed, the disregarded seeds sprouted into plants, then matured into tall hemp crops. Humans harvested these crops and turned the fibers into sturdy nets. Before long, the nets were cast, and the birds who had ignored the swallow's warning were caught and trapped.
In a fun, quirky land that was, oh, miles and miles away—seriously, you’d need a treasure map to find it—a Swallow with super cool sunglasses was zipping through the sky. "Just another fly-by," she thought.
Then, WHAM! She saw something sparkling on Farmer's field. "Ooh, sparkly!" she chirped, diving down for a closer peek. "Hmm, these aren't the usual snacks."
In a flash, she figured out these weren't the normal seeds. Nope, they were hemp seeds! The kind that might turn into big, bad nets. Not the fun jump-in-and-play kind, but the kind that catches birds.
"Hey, bird buddies!" Swallow hollered, doing a funky little dance. "These seeds? Not cool. We should eat 'em up before they turn into sneaky nets!"
Some birds, like a chill Pigeon and a sassy Sparrow, just shrugged. "You’re making a big fuss," cooed Pigeon.
"Yeah, if you're worried, just flap away or something," chirped Sparrow.
Swallow shook her head. "No way, I'm not giving up!" And she munched on as many seeds as she could. Nom! Nom! Nom! But even a hungry Swallow couldn’t clear a whole field.
Time zoomed by, and those sneaky seeds grew super tall. Before anyone realized, humans made them into, yup, bird-catching nets. "Told ya!" Swallow shouted, dodging a net, but for the others, game time was over. They were stuck!
"Should've listened," they tweeted, wrapped up like a present. And that's why you always listen when a Swallow with sunglasses gives a warning.
Swift Swallow flies so high,
Through clouds and blue, clear sky.
She spots some seeds upon the ground,
Not just any seeds, she found.
They're hemp seeds, strong and tough,
Soon to be nets, sure enough!
Swallow thinks, "Oh, this won't do!
I must tell my feathered crew."
So she gathers birds around,
Tells them what she has just found.
"Eat these seeds," Swallow cries,
"Or they'll grow to nets, no lies!"
Birds all laugh, "Oh, you're too tense!
These tiny seeds? They're no defense!
They're far from nets, oh, don't you see?
Just leave them be, they're harmless, free!"
Swallow eats what she can eat,
But many seeds stay at her feet.
Days go by, and sure enough,
Those tiny seeds grow tall and tough.
Then humans come, their nets they cast,
Birds get caught; they're trapped so fast.
Swallow sighs, "If only you
Had listened close, you'd be free too!"
So remember well, what Swallow knew,
Small things can grow to trap you, too!
Listen close to wise advice,
It just might save you, once or twice.
A slow and steady tortoise wins a race against a boastful and overconfident hare.
A North Wind and a Sun compete to remove a traveler’s cloak, but the Sun wins with warmth.
A thirsty crow cleverly drops pebbles into a pitcher, raising the water level to drink and quench its thirst.
A lion spared a mouse's life, later, the mouse rescued the lion from a trap.
An ant works hard and saves food for the winter while the grasshopper plays and starves.
A king's elephant and a dog form a friendship, are suddenly separated, but they are reunited by the king and live happily.
A farmer teaches his quarreling sons the strength of unity using a bundle of sticks.
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