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A Folktale fron Mexico

Preescolar

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 Cuckoo was a veru beautiful bird. "She ma!j
be ver!j beautiful," squowked the parrots, "but
she's not ver!j helpful. All she does is sing."
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"C'koo, c'koo," Cuckoo sang all dcu and

into the night.

"Cuckoo," cooed the doves. "PIease stop

singing and go to sIeep. We have to collect the
seeds for ~inter tomorrow. We need ever!:Jone
to heIp."
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 But the next morning, Cuckoo sang as she
clwuus did. All the other birds collected as man!:J
seeds as theu could. Thcu collected them írom
acorns and peppers.squosh and tomatoes. Then,
thcu dropped them near the woods.
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Once theu had finished their work, the birds

fcll asleep. Even wise old Owl fcll asleep. .
Theu were all so tired.
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 ,

Cuckoo was not pleased. She did not like it

.
when no one listened to her singing.

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-
 While wondering what to do, she saw
something red moving through the branches.
1 wonder what that is, she thought. 1 hope ít's
not a bírd as beautiful as me!
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But it wosrr't -o bird. It wos fire!

Cuckoo quicklu flew from her brunch
ond woke Owl to tell him of the dcnqer.
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i
 Owl called to the birds, "To the woods! We
must save the seeds!" But theu kept sleeping.
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So Cuckoo began to co11ect the seeds.

She worked a11night long. The fire scorched
her colorful feothers, and her e!:Jesgrew red
from the smoke.
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 When she hod finished, she tried to sing, but
011 she could monog e wos, "Coo, coo-coo."

The stronge noise woke the birds. Thcu sow

thot the woods were burned ond block. Where
were the sceds? Whot would the birds eot during
the winter?
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 ,

Then, the birds saw en ash-colored bird

circIing above them. "Is that !]OU,Cuckoo?"
theu cailed as theq wcited for the bird to Iand.

The gra!] bird Ianded. It was Cuckoo.

She told them that. the seeds were safe. She
had managed to coilect them ail!
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AlI the birds were surprised at Cuckoo s

hard work.· "It just shows ~ou. You can't tell
much cbout. a bird b~ Iooking at its feathers,"
said Owl.
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