The Tiger and the Woodpecker's Story

A Lesson in Friendship: The Tiger and the Woodpecker's Story

Once upon a time, in a big, green forest, there lived a tiger. The tiger was strong and brave, but he was always hungry. Every day, he walked through the forest, looking for something to eat. He wanted to catch food, but the forest was big, and hunting was not always easy.

In the same forest, there lived a small bird called a woodpecker. The woodpecker was quick and clever. It flew high in the trees and pecked on the bark to find insects. The tiger tried many times to catch the woodpecker, but he could never do it. The woodpecker was too fast, and the tiger was too slow.

One day, the tiger came back to his den, tired and hungry. He sat under a tree and sighed.

“Oh, I am so hungry! I cannot catch anything today either,” said the tiger.

Just then, the wise old owl flew down from the tree. The owl was very smart and knew many things about the forest.

“Why are you so sad, Tiger?” asked the owl.

“I tried to catch the woodpecker,” said the tiger, “but I cannot. It is too fast for me. I am strong, but I am not quick like the bird.”

The owl thought for a moment and said, “Tiger, you are strong and big. The woodpecker is small and fast. Alone, you both have problems. But together, you can do many things. If you work as a team, you can catch more food than you ever did alone.”

The tiger looked at the owl and said, “Hmm… I never thought about that. Can a bird really help me?”

“Yes,” said the owl. “If you work together, both of you will be happy.”

The tiger thought for a while. He was not sure at first, but he wanted to try something new.

The next morning, the tiger walked quietly through the forest. He looked up into the trees and saw the woodpecker pecking on a tall tree. The tiger called out, “Hello, Woodpecker! Can we talk?”

The woodpecker stopped pecking and looked down. “Hello, Tiger! What do you want?”

“I have an idea,” said the tiger. “I know I am big and slow. You are small and fast. But if we work together, we can catch more food. Will you be my hunting partner?”

The woodpecker flapped its wings and thought for a moment. “Hmm… I have never hunted with a tiger before. But it might be fun. Yes, I will try!”

From that day on, the tiger and the woodpecker became friends. They started hunting together.

The woodpecker flew high in the trees, looking carefully at the branches. “Tiger! There is an insect over here!” she would call.

The tiger, walking below, would look up and pounce. He was very fast on the ground, and he could catch things that the woodpecker could not reach.

“Wow! You are amazing, Tiger!” said the woodpecker. “I never thought we could catch so much food together!”

“You are clever, Woodpecker,” said the tiger. “I could not have done it without you.”

Every day, they hunted together. The woodpecker found insects, small birds, and tiny animals in the trees. The tiger caught bigger animals like rabbits and deer on the ground. Sometimes, the woodpecker even guided the tiger to places where food was hiding.

“Look, Tiger! Over there! I see a rabbit hiding in the bushes!” said the woodpecker.

“Thank you, Woodpecker. I will get it,” said the tiger, and with one jump, he caught the rabbit.

The forest animals were surprised when they saw the tiger and the woodpecker working together.

“Look at them!” said a monkey. “The big tiger and the small bird are hunting together! I have never seen anything like this!”

“Yes,” said the deer. “They are very different, but they help each other. That is amazing!”

The tiger and the woodpecker became famous in the forest. They showed everyone that working together is better than trying alone.

One evening, after a long day of hunting, the tiger and the woodpecker sat under a big tree.

“Woodpecker,” said the tiger, “I never thought I could be friends with a bird. But now, I am happy. We help each other, and I never go hungry.”

“I feel the same, Tiger,” said the woodpecker. “We are a good team. Together, we are stronger and smarter.”

The tiger smiled. “Yes. Cooperation is very important. When we work together, we can do more than we ever imagined.”

The woodpecker nodded. “And friendship is important too. Helping each other makes life better.”

From that day on, the tiger and the woodpecker hunted together every day. They shared their food, laughed together, and helped other animals when they could.

The other animals in the forest learned an important lesson. They saw that even very different animals can be friends if they work together.

“Remember,” said the wise old owl, “cooperation is the key to success. Alone, you may struggle. Together, you can achieve great things.”

And so, the tiger and the woodpecker lived happily in the forest. They were a team, a pair of unlikely friends, and an example for everyone who saw them.

THE END


Comprehension Questions & Answers

1. Who were the main characters in the story?

Answer: The main characters were the tiger and the woodpecker.

2. Why was the tiger always hungry?

Answer: The tiger was always hungry because he could not catch enough food by himself.

3. Why couldn’t the tiger catch the woodpecker at first?

Answer: The tiger could not catch the woodpecker because it was too small and fast, and he was too big and slow.

4. Who gave the tiger advice?

Answer: The wise old owl gave the tiger advice about working together.

5. What idea did the owl give the tiger?

Answer: The owl told the tiger that if he worked together with the woodpecker, they could catch more food.

6. How did the tiger ask the woodpecker to be his partner?

Answer: The tiger said, “If we work together, we can catch more food. Will you be my hunting partner?”

7. What did the woodpecker do while hunting?

Answer: The woodpecker flew in the trees, looked for insects and small animals, and called the tiger when it found something.

8. What did the tiger do while hunting?

Answer: The tiger walked on the ground and caught bigger animals like rabbits and deer.

9. How did the forest animals react to the tiger and woodpecker working together?

Answer: The other animals were surprised and amazed because they had never seen such different animals cooperate.

10. What lesson did the tiger and the woodpecker teach the forest animals?

Answer: They taught that cooperation and teamwork are important, and working together can help everyone succeed.


Thinking & Moral Questions

11. Why do you think the tiger and the woodpecker became friends?

Answer: They became friends because they helped each other and realized they could achieve more together than alone.

12. Can animals or people who are very different still work together? How?

Answer: Yes, by helping each other, using each other’s strengths, and being kind and cooperative.

13. What would have happened if the tiger tried to hunt alone?

Answer: The tiger would have stayed hungry because he could not catch the woodpecker or some of the other food by himself.

14. What does cooperation mean?

Answer: Cooperation means working together with others to achieve a goal or help each other.

15. Can you think of a time when you worked with a friend or classmate to do something? How did it help?

Answer: (Children can share their own experiences, e.g., doing a project together, playing a game, or helping each other at home.)


Fun Activity Questions

16. If you were the tiger, what would you do to catch food?

Answer: (Answers may vary; encourage creativity.)

17. If you were the woodpecker, what ideas would you give the tiger to catch food?

Answer: (Answers may vary; encourage thinking about teamwork.)

18. Can you draw a picture of the tiger and the woodpecker hunting together?

Answer: (This encourages children to connect with the story visually.)

19. Make up a new story where two very different animals help each other. Who would they be?

Answer: (Encourages imagination and reinforces the lesson of cooperation.)

20. Why do you think the story is important for children to read?

Answer: It teaches lessons about teamwork, friendship, sharing, and helping others.


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