Folktales and Fables

FOLKTALES and FABLES

"The Tiger who would to be King"

and

"The Dove and the Ant"

Multiple Choice

When the tiger arrives, the lion does what?

• goes out to fight him

• runs away

• lets him be king

• chases the tiger away

"The Tiger who would to be King"

James Thurber's ''The Tiger Who Would Be King'' is a fable that tells the story of a power-hungry tiger who wants to usurp the authority of the true king of the jungle: the lion. His preoccupation with power causes a war to break out between all the animals.

• In the jungle, there was a tiger that thought he was the king of the beasts and he told his mate that he would be by "the time the moon rises"

• The author, mirrors the tiger with his son by having the tiger say that there is screaming in the jungle for change and by having his young son scream about an "imaginary thorn in his pay."

• The tiger even imagines that the moon will be "yellow" with "black stripes" in his honor

• The tiger then goes to the lion's den and demands him to come out and "greet the king of beasts!"

"The Tiger who would to be King"

• The lioness wakes the lion and says that the king of beasts is outside of the den, ready to meet him

• The lion says to the tiger that the lion is the king of the beasts and they fight a "terrible fight"

• Other animals join in the fight and have different reasons for fighting and some just for the "sake of fighting"

• In the end of the fight, there was but a Macaw and a Cockatoo to greet the new "king of beasts"

• The tiger was king of a meaningless land and an animal-less place

• The author's moral of the story: "You can't very well be king of beasts if there aren't any."

"The Tiger who would to be King"

• The lioness wakes the lion and says that the king of beasts is outside of the den, ready to meet him

• The lion says to the tiger that the lion is the king of the beasts and they fight a "terrible fight"

• Other animals join in the fight and have different reasons for fighting and some just for the "sake of fighting"

• In the end of the fight, there was but a Macaw and a Cockatoo to greet the new "king of beasts"

• The tiger was king of a meaningless land and an animal-less place

• The author's moral of the story: "You can't very well be king of beasts if there aren't any."

"The Dove and the Ant"

• One day, an ant went to a nearby river to quench his thirst. As he bent down, he slipped into the river and was carried away by the strong current. He started shouting for help, but all his efforts seemed to go in vain. But soon, a dove saw the ant struggling and decided to help him. He immediately plucked a leaf from the nearby tree and threw it in the river. The ant climbed on the leaf and reached the shore safely. After a few hours, the ant saw a hunter aiming his gun at the dove sitting on a nearby tree. The ant quickly ran to the hunter and stung him on his heels, making him scream in pain. The hunter got distracted by the pain and ended up missing his target. The dove heard the loud sound and realised what had happened. He flew away immediately. The ant also left for his home happily.

"The Dove and the Ant"

• The moral of the story is – A good deed never goes unnoticed and comes back to us in one form or another. The dove's act of kindness returned to him when the ant saved his life from the hunter, i.e., if you do good, good will come to you.

Multiple Choice

In "The Tiger Who Would Be King," the tiger and the tigress share several characteristics. They are different in one main way, however. Which word best describes the tigress but not the tiger?

• practical

• ferocious

• boastful

• ambitious

Open Ended

How did the ant and the dove exchange kind deeds?

Multiple Choice

The dove went to the river to____________.

• Drink water

• To eat the ant

• In search of hunter

Multiple Choice

The ant ____________________.

• Fell in the brook and bit the dove

• Fell in, and vainly tried to reach the land

• To talk to the dave

Multiple Choice

Did the dove helped the ant?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The ant was very mean. True or false

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The dove was very mean and she ate the ant.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

The hunter was thinking to make soup of ________________.

• The lion

• The hunter

• The bird of Venus

Multiple Choice

Who is reffered to villian in the poem?

• The lion

• The dove

• The ant

• The hunter

Multiple Choice

The ant tried to _____________.

• Bite the hunter

• Bite the dove

• Give the dove food

Multiple Choice

The dove was good to the ant?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

The dove flew as ______________.

• She wanted to roam around

• She was thinking tomeet her relatives.

• She came to know that the hunter was about to hunt her

Multiple Choice

How did the dove save the ant?

• Taking it with his beak

• Throwing a leaf at him

• Throwing a rock at him

Multiple Choice

In "The Tiger Who Would Be King," what is the main cause of the death of so many animals?

• They are on the losing side.

• They do not want change.

• They join in the fight.

• They attack the tiger.

Multiple Choice

What genre was this story?

• myth

• legend

• fable

• informational text

Multiple Choice

How do you know that "The Tiger Who Would Be King" is a fable?

• It contains human characters who act like animals.

• It teaches a lesson that is stated as a moral at the end, and it has animal characters that act like humans.

• It has parts that are funny and parts that are sad.

• The animals talk.

Multiple Choice

What is the moral of the story?

• Run away from danger

• Save yourself

• The best way to make a friend is to exchange acts of kindness

• Always say thank you

Multiple Choice

In "The Ant and the Dove," what causes the hunter to drop the net?

• The dove flies away.

• The dove drops a twig to rescue the ant.

• The hunter changes his mind.

• The ant bites his foot.

Open Ended

What does the Dove mean when he says "There can never be excess kindness in this world?"

Multiple Choice

How does the dove feel toward the ant at the end of "The Ant and the Dove"?

• jealous

• grateful

• embarassed

• indifferent

Open Ended

What was the author's purpose in telling this story?

Multiple Choice

What is the storyteller's main purpose in "The Ant and the Dove"?

• to make readers laugh

• to explain something natural

• to teach a lesson

• to surprise and amaze

Open Ended

List two words that describe the ant in this story.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence uses the italicized vocabulary word incorrectly?

• A goose honked loudly as it prowled across the lake.

• Bears prowled through the campsite looking for food.

• The bird, startled by the cat, flew away.

• The startled audience gasped when the magician disappeared.

Multiple Choice

In a country that has a monarch, the monarch is:

• the assistant to the country's ruler.

• the country's single ruler.

• one of many representatives in the country's government.

• the country's capital.

Multiple Choice

If someone repaid a favor, then he or she

• asked for the favor.

• decided not to do the favor.

• decided not to accept the favor.

• did something in return for the favor.

Multiple Choice

If you inquire about an activity, what are you doing?

• telling

• performing

• asking

• wishing

Multiple Choice

prowled means...

• to move quietly while hunting

• to go home

• to move loudly

• to ask for something politely

Multiple Choice

A monarch is ...

• a moth

• a poor person

• a king or queen

• a character in the story

Multiple Choice

inquired means...

• to state again

• to think or ask

• to be left alone

• to inform someone

Multiple Choice

startled means...

• to please

• to anger

• to surprise

• to make sleepy

Multiple Choice

repulse means...

• to delight or make happy

• to beg or ask

• to grow or reproduce

• to repel or drive back

Multiple Choice

repaid means...

• to ask a favor

• to fix an object

• to receive love

• to give back something owed