The Swallow and the pumpkinseed
One bright summer day, a Swallow was flying over a beautiful garden when he spotted a shiny pumpkinseed lying on the ground. Intrigued, the Swallow flew down to investigate.
As he pecked at the pumpkinseed, he noticed how smooth and round it was. "This would make a delicious meal," the Swallow thought to himself. And so, he picked it up in his beak and flew away to a nearby tree to enjoy his snack.
However, as he tried to crack open the pumpkinseed, he realized that it was much tougher than he had anticipated. No matter how hard he pecked at it, the seed remained intact.
Feeling frustrated, the Swallow called out to a nearby Finch for help. The Finch fluttered over and took one look at the pumpkinseed. "You silly bird," the Finch chirped, "that's not food, that's a seed meant for planting!"
The Swallow's eyes widened in surprise as he realized his mistake. He had never seen a pumpkinseed before and had assumed it was meant for eating.
Embarrassed, the Swallow thanked the Finch for the information and flew back to the garden where he had found the pumpkinseed. He gently placed it back on the ground, hoping that it would grow into a beautiful pumpkin for someone else to enjoy.
From then on, the Swallow made sure to only eat food that he was familiar with, and he never mistook a seed for a snack again. And the pumpkinseed? Well, it grew into a big, juicy pumpkin that brought joy to all who saw it.