The Woodpecker

Te presentamos este cuento en inglés para que tus hijos aprendan jugando.

One day, all the birds of the forest were together under a lush tree when suddenly, they heard a noise. They look like hammer blows. Thrilled, they went to pry. What a surprise! They saw a small bird they did not know, which was on a tree’s trunk hammering insistently with its beak.

The parrot came to him and ask him

-“Hello little friend, what are you doing?”.

The laborious bird stopped his work for a moment and answer him

-“I’m building a nest for my family, my friend!”

The parrot continued the conversation:

-“It’s very strange what you are doing, we built our nests on the tree’s branches!”

The laborious bird laughed:

-“What a mistake, my friend! That’s why you get wet when it rains and I imagine you are cold at night as well as the danger you are in, since you are exposed that any fierce harm you while you are sleeping. Me, on the other hand, I sleep very secure in this nest and my chick aren’t cold and don’t get wet. Do you understand the advantages of these nests?”

Surprised for those words, the parrot proposed him a deal:

-“ Good grief, my friend! I admit that you’re absolutely right. I propose you a deal. If you build me a nest like yours, I’ll pay you whatever you ask me for”.

The labourios bird accepted de deal and answered him

-“It’s OK, my friend parrot. I promise to give you this nest in three months, when the summer starts. Until then, you must bring food to my wife and child for the time I’m absent far from home working”

The parrot accepted the conditions and the small bird kept on working.

The rest of the birds waited anxiously for the parrot to return and when he arrived the macaw asked him.

-“Hey cousin, what did you talk about with that strange bird?”

The parrot answered aloud so the rest could hear.

-“Don’t worry, it is a friend bird and very hard working. He’s building a nest for his family and I came to a deal with him. He promised to give me that nest in trhee months time and in exchange I promised to feed his family for the time he is absent working in the wood."

The macaw exclaimed

-“It’s a fair deal! I’ll see if I can talk to him."

Days passed and the strange bird had finished building the nest and was settled with his wife. Then the macaw came and asked them

-“ Good afternoon, how are you?. I would like to talk to you my friend, how much would it cost to me a nest like this?”

Out of the nest for a moment, the little bird answered her:

-“That depends of the type of nest and tree that you want my friend. The harder the tree is, the more expensive would be for you."

The macaw thought for a moment and the small bird said to her:

-“Well, let’s do one thing. Since I’ve seen that you are a good bird and you’ve come here in peace, I promise to build you the nest if you promise to come every afternoon to entertain my child with your song while I’m absent.”

The macaw accepted the deal pleased and she returned to the forest to tell the rest of the birds what had happened. Months passed and the strange pair of birds had their child, the parrot bring them food everyday and in the afternoon, the macaw entertained them with their joyful song.

Far from that place, the small laborious bird was building the nest for the macaw, but the strong noise attracted to the place to a huge sparrowhawk who landed on a branch asked

-“With which permission are you building a nest in this tree?"

Surprised by the question, the small laborious bird answered:

-“Well, as far as I know, the forest doesn’t have an owner and in cany case, you should ask the macaw who hired me”.

When hearing that answer, the fierce sparrowhawk exclaimed

-“So the macaw hired you! It’s strange she didn’t inform me about this. Well, we shall settle it”.

The huge sparrowhawk kept with his flight while the small bird kept with his work.

Few days later, the toucan came and said:

-“Listen, good friend. Be very careful with that sparrowhawk, he ‘s very dangerous and he thinks he is the owner of the forest”.

After listening to those words of warning, the small bird was more careful and sometimes he averted his eyes from the wood to look at the sky.

One month later, he finished building the nest and he gave the new house to the macaw who, very happy, thanked him and concluded the deal. Then, the small bird returned to his nest to sleep with his family.

The next day, the parrot came with the food and the small bird told him:

-“Listen my good friend. Tomorrow I’m going to the wood to build another nest as the summer is coming and I must fulfil the deal we agreed”.

Very early in the morning, the laborious bird went to the forest to build the new nest and while he was working, the toucan with whom he had talked days before, came to him. He asked:

-"Hey, good friend. How much will it cost to me a nest like that for my family since I don’t have a home, last night the sparrowhawk destroyed the one I had?”

The small bird answered him

-“I understand your anguish, friend and I would like yo help you. I propose you a deal. After I finish this nest, I will move her with my family, so I will be able to build your nest but you have to promise to feed my family while I’m working in exchange!"

Happy, the toucan accepted the deal and flew to the forest to inform his family while the small bird kept on working.

Weeks passed and the nest was ready. Then, the small bird flew to the forest to look for their family and once they had moved, he gave the old nest to the parrot who, very happy, accepted the new house.

While the small bird was absent, the big sparrow hawk tried to destroy the nest, but the brave toucan with other birds faced him and made him retire. When the small bird arrived with his family, he was informed of the situation.That night, all the birds of the forest slept near the nest to protect him against the sparrow hawk’s attack.

The next day, the birds of the forest had a meeting and decided that the owl will be in charge of the night surveillance in exchange of free food and water everyday.

In that moment, they decided unanimously to give a name to the small labourious bird, and from that moment thew called him woodpecker, which became the most beloved and protected bird in the forest because his work and ability to build nests was unbeatable and many birds hired his services so he had work all the year.