A young ostrich came to its mother, groaning in pain and clutching its wings tightly across its stomach.
"What have you been eating?" the mother asked with concern.
"Nothing but a keg of nails," was the reply.
"What!" exclaimed the mother, her eyes wide with shock. "A whole keg of nails at your age! Why, you will kill yourself that way. Go quickly, my child, and swallow a claw hammer!"
The urgency in her voice was clear, as she knew that the young ostrich needed help to remedy its poor choice of food.
The moral
Poor choices can lead to painful consequences, and one must seek appropriate remedies to correct mistakes.
Discussion questions
- What led the young Ostrich to make such a poor choice, and how can this relate to real-life decisions?
- How does the Mother Ostrich's advice reflect wisdom found in other moral stories?
- What are some lessons we can learn from this story that apply to our everyday lives?
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Read it in another language
Good night.
Tomorrow night: The Fox and the Crane
