One crisp fall a long time ago, a flock of birds flew south so they could spend the winter where it was warm. One little bird broke her wing, though, and was left behind, because she couldn’t fly with the others. She was worried about what she would do in the winter when the cold and the snow came. She looked around at all of the trees. Maybe one of them would give her a home for the winter. She asked a birch tree, “Beautiful birch tree, my wing is broken. My friends have all flown away without me. May I stay in your branches until they come back in the spring?”
“No,” said the birch. “We trees in this forest already have a lot of our own animals to care for. I can’t help you.”
“Birch trees aren’t very strong,” thought the bird. “Maybe he thought his branches wouldn’t hold me. I’ll ask another tree.”
She saw a big, strong oak tree. She asked it if she could live there for the winter.
“No,” said the oak. “I know about you birds. You would probably eat all my acorns.” The oak folded up its leaves and the bird turned away sadly.
Next, she asked the willow, but the willow, too, turned her away. The little bird hopped away. She was very sad and didn’t know what she would do.
Then, she heard a soft voice. “Little bird,” it said, “where are you going?”
“I don’t know,” replied the bird. “My wing is broken, and I am left here alone. I’ve been looking for a place to stay for the winter, but no tree will take me in.”
“Come here, then,” said the voice. “You can stay with me.” The bird turned and saw that the voice was coming from a spruce tree.
The little bird couldn’t believe it! “Really? Oh thank you!” she said.
Then, she heard another voice coming from a nearby pine tree. “My branches aren’t very strong,” it said, “but I will do my best to protect you from the cold wind.”
Then, a juniper said, “You’ll need food this winter, too. You are welcome to my berries.”
The bird could not believe the kindness of these trees. She settled down in the spruce and prepared for winter. The pine shielded her from the wind, and the juniper offered its berries.
When the winter wind came, it blew the leaves off of all the other trees in the forest, but not the spruce, pine, and juniper. For their kindness, those trees got to stay green all winter long.
Select the THREE correct answers.
How does the bird breaking her wing move the story forward?

1. It leads to the bird depending on others for help.
2. It leads to the bird not being able to fly south.
3. It leads to the trees not letting the bird fly away.
4. It results in three of the trees refusing the bird’s request.
5. It results in some of the birds staying with the hurt bird.