■ Learning from observation and experience
■ Using lateral thinkingOutcomes Offered
■ Self-reliance
■ Power of observation
■ Creative problem-solvingI once heard a story of a bird. I don’t remember what sort of bird it was, but I suppose we could
make it any sort of bird that you want. What sort of bird would you like it to be?
This bird lived in a land where there had been a very long, dry summer. It hadn’t rained for a
long time. The ground was so dry that even the overnight dew was soaked up as quickly as if it had
fallen on a sponge. As a result the poor bird had not had a drink for a long time. It was reallythirsty—
so thirsty that it was feeling weaker and weaker with each passing day.
Frightened that it couldn’t live much longer without water, it flew high into the air, hoping to
see a patch of water somewhere in the parched land. It flew and glided, flew and glided, trying to
save its energy as much as possible. Across the hot dry earth it searched for life-giving water.
Can you imagine how relieved it was when it noticed the sun glinting off something on the
ground? The poor little bird glided down to investigate. There, in a spot where people sometimes
picnicked, somebody had left behind a glass jar. At first the bird was excited. In the last rains, a long
time ago, some water had fallen into the jar. Just enough remained in the bottom for the bird to have
a refreshing drink. But then its heart sank.
The jar was tall, the water level low, and the bird couldn’t get its beak deep enough down to get
a drink. Realizing this, it felt even drier and thirstier. The water could save it, but the water was out
of reach. What could the poor bird do?
As it looked desperately at the jar, the bird began to think of many possible options. It could push
the jar over, but then the water was likely to spill and soak into the dry ground before the bird had a
chance to drink. Maybe by holding the rim of the jar in its beak the bird could tilt it over just far
enough for the water level to rise closer to the top without spilling any. But how could it hold the jar
at just the right angle and drink at the same time? The bird looked around. There was nobody else
to ask for help. It was a problem it needed to solve by itself.
I wish I had a straw, thought the bird, and that gave it a good idea. It looked around for a hollow
stick or perhaps a long leaf that it might be able to roll into the shape of a straw but, unfortunately, it
found nothing except pebbles scattered over the dry ground. The bird was frustrated. In front of it
was what it wanted and needed but couldn’t reach. There was nothing or no one around to help.
What could it do?
In the end it gave up, weakly launched itself into the air, and flew on in search of water it could
reach. It wasn’t long before it came across a small pond. The water was muddy. It might taste yucky
but at least it was water. As the bird approached, a huge pair of jaws suddenly launched themselves
from the pond and the bird just had enough energy to spring into the air before getting eaten.
Great, it thought, I find the only water around and a crocodile lives in it!Hovering over the pond, it
noticed the watermark left by the crocodile on the banks... and that gave the little bird an idea. You
see, it might have been a bird, but it wasn’t a birdbrain. When the crocodile had leapt out, the water
PROBLEM-SOLVINGBuilding Problem-Solving Skills 181