Once upon a time, in the lush rainforest, Fern the Leopard was planning a grand tea party for all her friends. Excitedly, she decided to make her famous herbal tea, known throughout the forest for its delightful aroma and exquisite taste.
Fern filled a big pot with water and placed it on her stove, made from cleverly interwoven branches and leaves. She then sat down, watching the pot intently, waiting for it to boil. She watched and watched, but the water seemed as calm as a sleeping sloth.
As the minutes ticked by, Fern grew more impatient. “Why won’t it boil?” she wondered aloud, her golden eyes fixed on the pot. Just then, Bella the Mouse scurried in, carrying a basket of berries.
“Hi Fern! Why are you staring at that pot?” Bella asked curiously, placing the berries on the table.
“I’m waiting for it to boil, but it’s taking forever!” Fern replied, sounding a bit frustrated.
Bella chuckled softly and said, “You know, Fern, there’s an old saying that a watched pot never boils.”
Fern tilted her head, puzzled. “But why? It’s just water in a pot!”
Bella explained, “It’s not that the pot won’t boil. It’s just that when you keep watching it, time seems to go slower. Why don’t you help me wash these berries? It will make the wait feel shorter.”
Fern hesitated but then decided to join Bella. As they washed the berries, laughing and talking about their latest adventures, they forgot about the pot for a while.
After some time, they heard a gentle bubbling sound. Surprised, Fern looked over and saw steam rising from the pot. The water was boiling!
“Look, Bella! It’s boiling!” Fern exclaimed with a wide smile.
Bella nodded, “See, when you occupied yourself with something else, the wait didn’t seem so long.”
Fern learned an important lesson that day: being patient and keeping busy makes waiting easier. The tea party was a huge success, and all the forest animals enjoyed the delicious tea and berries. Fern shared the lesson she learned with her friends, and they all agreed that sometimes, it’s better not to watch the pot!
From that day on, whenever Fern had to wait for something, she remembered to keep herself busy instead of watching and waiting. And she shared this wisdom with everyone in the forest.