The Great Apple Quarrel
A short animated story about two friends, one apple, and learning to share
The story
One apple on the branch
High on a branch above the riverbank hangs one apple — round, red, and the only one left on the whole tree. A bear cub spots it from below. A little bird spots it from above. Both of them stop, and both of them are quite certain the apple is theirs.
Both of them are sure
The bear cub reaches up on his back paws. The bird flutters down to the branch. Neither one will give way. The argument grows louder, the branch begins to sway, and the apple sways with it — while the two friends are far too busy quarrelling to notice.
Into the river
With one last shake of the branch, the apple slips free. It drops past the bear cub, past the reeds, and lands in the river with a splash. The quarrel stops in an instant. Now nobody has the apple, and it is floating away.
Fishing it out together
The bear cub wades in and stretches out a paw, but the apple bobs just out of reach. The bird flies ahead and nudges it back downstream, closer and closer, until the bear cub can finally close his paws around it. It takes both of them. Neither could have done it alone.
One half each
Back on the bank, dripping and out of breath, they look at the apple and then at each other. They split it neatly down the middle — one half for the bear cub, one half for the bird — and sit side by side to eat it. The apple they nearly lost tastes better shared than it ever would have alone.
For grown-ups
A good one for the moment right after a squabble, not before it. The film does not lecture: the two friends want the same thing, neither is the villain, and the fix is theirs. Ask your child what they would have done with the apple — there is more than one good answer, which is the point.
Talk about it together
- Why did both friends want the apple?
- How did they work it out in the end?
- What would you do if you and a friend both wanted the same thing?
Frequently asked questions
How long is The Great Apple Quarrel?
About a minute and a half — short enough to watch twice, which children tend to ask for.
What age is it for?
About 3 to 6, the years when sharing stops being a rule adults enforce and starts being something children negotiate between themselves.
Can I make a story like this about my own child?
Yes. ReadKidz makes a short animated story from a single sentence — your child’s name, their friend, the thing they both wanted.
More to watch
Make your own animated story from one sentence.
Describe the idea, pick a look, and ReadKidz writes, draws and animates it — characters stay the same from the first shot to the last.
