Hachidori no Hito Shizuku: Watashi ni Dekiru koto

An adaptation of an Andes folk tale, this story encourages children to care for the environment. One day a sudden, fierce wildfire engulfs a vast forest, causing all the animals to flee their homes. As they reach the edge of a stream, they watch the flames and feel powerless, lamenting the destruction of their homes. While everyone believes there is nothing they can do except for one little hummingbird, the bird decides to act. It swoops into the stream, scoops up droplets of water, and returns to the forest to douse the flames. Repeating this cycle over and over, the hummingbird keeps trying, even as other animals heckle it, telling it it is too small, its wings will burn, and its efforts are futile. The animals’ discouraging words only deepen the bird’s resolve. One animal finally challenges the hummingbird, asking what it thinks it is doing. The hummingbird replies, without hesitation, “I am doing what I can.”