Aesops Fable of the Crow and the Pitcher

Aesops Fable of the Crow and the Pitcher One of Aesops most popular animal stories is this one, of a thirsty and ingenious crow. The text of the fable, from George Fyler Townsend, whose translation of Aesops Fables has been the standard in English since the 19th Century, is this: A Crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water, flew to it with delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach and thus saved his life. Necessity is the mother of invention. History of the Fable Aesop, if he existed, was a slave in the seventh century Greece. According to Aristotle, he was born in Thrace. His fable of the Crow and the Pitcher was well known in Greece and in Rome, where mosaics have been found illustrating the crafty crow and the stoic pitcher. The fable was the subject of a poem by Bianor, an ancient Greek poet from Bithynia, who lived under the emperors Augustus and Tiberius in the First Century A.D. Avianus mentions the story 400 years later, and it continues to be cited throughout the Middle Ages. Interpretations of the Fable The morals of Aesops fables have always been appended by translators. Townsend, above, interprets the story of the Crow and the Pitcher to mean that dire circumstance gives rise to innovation. Others have seen in the story the virtue of persistence: The crow must drop many rocks into the pitcher before he can drink. Avianus took the fable as an advertisement for the suave sciences rather than force, writing: This fable shows us that thoughtfulness is superior to brute strength. The Crow and the Pitcher and Science Again and again, historians have noted with wonder that such an ancient tale- already hundreds of years old in Roman times- should document actual crow behavior. Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (77 A.D.) mentions a crow accomplishing the same feat as the one in Aesops story. Experiments with rooks (fellow corvids) in 2009 showed that the birds, presented with the same dilemma as the crow in the fable, made use of the same solution. These findings established that tool use in birds was more common than had been supposed, also that the birds would have had to understand the nature of solids and liquids, and further, that some objects (stones, for example) sink while others float. More Aesops Fables: The Ant and the DoveThe Bee and JupiterThe Cat and VenusThe Fox and the MonkeyThe Lion and the Mouse

Words Used to Describe Food

Words Used to Describe Food The words below are some of the most important used to talk about how food tastes, the condition it is in, and how we cook. Practice the sentences and learn how to talk about your food.   Food Condition fresh - Sushi always requires fresh fish.off - Im afraid this cheese tastes off.raw - Sushi is made from raw fish as well as vegetables, seaweed, and rice.  ripe - Make sure the bananas are ripe so I can use them in the cake.rotten - This meat smells rotten. I think we should throw it away.tough - The steak was very tough. I could hardly chew it!tender - The lamb was so tender that it seemed to melt in my mouth.undercooked - The undercooked salmon was very poor.unripe - Many types of fruit are picked unripe and become ripe as they are shipped.overcooked - The broccoli was overcooked. It should have been crisper.   Food Verbs bake - Ill bake a cake for her birthday party.boil - You should boil these potatoes for forty-five minutes.cook - What would you like me to cook for dinner?fry - I usually fry some eggs and bacon on Saturday mornings.grill - During the summer I like to grill meat outside.heat - Heat up the soup and make some sandwiches.microwave - Microwave the macaroni for three minutes and eat.poach - Jennifer prefers to poach her eggs.roast - Lets put this in the oven and roast for two hours.steam - The best way to cook many vegetables is to steam them for a few minutes. Food Quantities bar - Melt one bar of butter for the sauce.liter - Ill put a liter of water on to boil for the pasta.loaf - I bought three loaves of bread at the supermarket.  lump - Put of a lump of butter on top of the casserole to make it tasty.piece - Would you like a piece of chicken?pint - I drank a pint of ale at the pub.portion - Have you eaten your portion of vegetables today?slice - Please put three slices of cheese on my sandwich.spoonful - Add two spoonfuls of sugar to sweeten. Food Taste bitter - The almonds were very bitter. I could hardly eat the cookies.bland - This sauce is very bland. It doesnt taste like anything.creamy - I enjoy eating creamy tomato soup on cold winter days.crisp - The apple was crisp and delicious.  crunchy - Granola is a very crunch type of breakfast cereal.hot - The soup is hot. Let it cool down.mild - The spices are very mild.  salty - The sauce was much too salty. I think you should add some water and boil it down.savory - Savory crackers with cheese make a great snack.  sour - Lemons are very sour!spicy - Greg enjoys eating spicy Mexican food.  sweet - The cherry pie wasnt too sweet. It was just right.  tasteless - The vegetables have been cooked for too long. Theyre tasteless. Food Types barbecue - Do you enjoy barbecue during the summer?buffet - We went to an Indian buffet and had all we could eat.four-course meal - My wife and I enjoy making four-course meals on special occasions.picnic - Lets take a picnic to the park and enjoy the good weather.snack - You should eat a snack at four, but dont eat too much.TV dinner - TV dinners are disgusting but fast. Eating and Drinking bite - Dont bite off more meat than you can comfortably chew.chew - You should chew each bite well before you swallow.swallow - If you swallow too much you might choke on your food.sip - Its best to slowly sip a cocktail rather than gulp it down.guzzle - He guzzled a glass of water after he finished the job.gulp down - He hungrily gulped down the meal as he was very hungry. Preparing Drinks add - Add two shots of whiskey and some rum.fill - Fill the glass with ice.mix - Mix in a teaspoon of sugar.pour - Pour your drink over ice cubes.  shake - Shake the drink well and pour into a glass.stir - Stir the ingredients well and enjoy with your favorite seafood.   If you know all of these words, try the advanced level food vocabulary page to really expand your vocabulary. Teachers can use this lesson about food to help students plan a meal of their own.