The Weaverbird's Borrowed Knot
Written by Studio AM.
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A young weaverbird watched an elder fasten grass around a branch. He copied the final knot and showed it to the flock. “I know the secret now,” he announced.
The elder asked him to begin a nest on a forked branch. The copied knot slipped. On a thin branch, it pinched the grass until it broke. The young bird blamed both branches.
“My knot was an answer,” said the elder, “but you did not borrow my question.” She showed how wind, grass, and branch shape changed each choice. Then she let him test several ties and pull them apart.
The young bird eventually made a knot unlike the one he had copied. He tested it before trusting his own work. It held through a storm. He had learned more than a knot: he could now choose a tie that suited the branch and grass.
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Questions
Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.
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Question 1 of 4
What lesson does the fable teach?
The answer is A: Copying an answer is not the same as understanding the problem and testing what works.
The young bird succeeds only after studying conditions, purposes, and several possible ties.
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Question 2 of 4
Why does the elder let the young bird pull ties apart?
The answer is B: Testing reveals how different ties behave before they must hold a nest.
The lesson shifts from copying a visible result to examining performance under force.
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Question 3 of 4
What does “forked” mean in the second paragraph?
The answer is C: divided into two branches
A forked branch offers a split shape around which the bird must fasten grass.
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Question 4 of 4
What happens to the new knot during the storm?
The answer is D: it holds
The final paragraph directly reports that the independently designed knot survives.
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