We Often say, "You never know what you can do till you try." This means that we should first try to do something before we say that it cannot be done. The following story may help us to understand how true this saying is.
There was once a village which lay at the foot of a mountain. The mountain was not very high, and it was easy to climb up the lower parts. But the sides near the top were almost as straight as walls. So no one ever tried to climb up to the top.
In this village there lived a young farm worker and his wife. Every morning the husband used to go off to work on a farm which was a few miles away. He did not come back until evening. His wife stayed at home and did all the housework.
She was busy all the day; for there was much work to do, and she had no one to help her. She had to clean the house and wash clothes, and she had to cook food for their meals.
At the same time she had to to look after her little child-a baby that was only a few months old. You may be sure that she loved this work best of all.
As she had to do much work so during the day, she couldn't stay near her baby all the time. In winter she usually kept the baby inside the house, but in the spring, when the days were warm, she used to leave the baby outside in the garden.
The baby did not usually give her much trouble, but lay quietly in the basket. The mother was not afraid to leave the baby outside by itself, because she had a dog always stood beside the basket and watched over the baby.
All was well until the afternoon in summer. It was a warm day and the baby was sleeping peacefully outside while the mother was working inside the house. As usual the dog stood beside the basket.
Suddenly a large bird flew down out of the sky. It flew straight towards the basket. The dog sprang at the bird, but it was not quick enough. The bird flew from the ground and as it rose, its feet caught the top of the basket. Up went the basket with the baby inside it.
Higher and higher flew the bird, while below the men in the fields stopped their work, and the women ran out of their houses. All looked up at the sky and watched, the bird. Would the bird drop the basket, or would it fly away to some far place? This was the question which they asked themselves.
As they watched, the bird turned and flew towards the mountain. It came to the top, and there put the basket down and then flew away.
There was once a village which lay at the foot of a mountain. The mountain was not very high, and it was easy to climb up the lower parts. But the sides near the top were almost as straight as walls. So no one ever tried to climb up to the top.
In this village there lived a young farm worker and his wife. Every morning the husband used to go off to work on a farm which was a few miles away. He did not come back until evening. His wife stayed at home and did all the housework.
She was busy all the day; for there was much work to do, and she had no one to help her. She had to clean the house and wash clothes, and she had to cook food for their meals.
At the same time she had to to look after her little child-a baby that was only a few months old. You may be sure that she loved this work best of all.
As she had to do much work so during the day, she couldn't stay near her baby all the time. In winter she usually kept the baby inside the house, but in the spring, when the days were warm, she used to leave the baby outside in the garden.
The baby did not usually give her much trouble, but lay quietly in the basket. The mother was not afraid to leave the baby outside by itself, because she had a dog always stood beside the basket and watched over the baby.
All was well until the afternoon in summer. It was a warm day and the baby was sleeping peacefully outside while the mother was working inside the house. As usual the dog stood beside the basket.
Suddenly a large bird flew down out of the sky. It flew straight towards the basket. The dog sprang at the bird, but it was not quick enough. The bird flew from the ground and as it rose, its feet caught the top of the basket. Up went the basket with the baby inside it.
Higher and higher flew the bird, while below the men in the fields stopped their work, and the women ran out of their houses. All looked up at the sky and watched, the bird. Would the bird drop the basket, or would it fly away to some far place? This was the question which they asked themselves.
As they watched, the bird turned and flew towards the mountain. It came to the top, and there put the basket down and then flew away.