Theme Test

One morning, a boy led his sheep to a field. His job was to watch for wolves that might want to eat his sheep. But watching the sheep was boring. Then, he thought of a way to have a little fun. As loud as he could, the boy cried, "Wolf! Wolf!" In no time, farmers from a nearby farm rushed to help him. But the boy just laughed. He told them that there was no wolf. The farmers all shook their heads and left. By lunchtime, the boy was bored again. So, he cried "Wolf!" a second time. Again, the farmers came running. Again, the boy just laughed. The farmers shook their fists at him and stomped away. But a little while later, the boy really did see a wolf. It was looking at his sheep. The boy cried "Wolf!" a third time. But this time, nobody came to help. The farmers didn't believe the boy anymore

• If you lie, no one will believe when you tell the truth

• If you're bored it's okay to tell a small lie

• It's okay to lie as longs as you tell the truth in the end

• Don't believe fools

Scarface (Native American tale) Scarface, a young Indian brave whose face was badly scarred by a grizzly bear, thought little of his bad scars until he fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the chief of his tribe. His heart ached as other young men mocked his feelings for the chief's daughter, and matters were made worse when she told him the Lord of the Sun forbade her to marry. Scarface took a journey to meet this Lord of the Sun, a journey that led him through difficult passages and across great distances. But he was rewarded when the sun god healed his scars and gave the young Indian his blessing to marry the chief's daughter.

• patience is difficult.

• rebelliousness never pays.

• dignity is important.

• one shouldn't give up.

Melvin's mom bought him a pack of underwear for school. They were an expensive brand. She just knew they would last, no matter how many atomic wedgies he got this year. On the first day of school, Melvin's usual bully attempted to give him a wedgie, but the underwear tore below the waistband. Disappointed, the bully walked away. When Melvin came home, his mom was upset because she had spent so much money on his underwear. However, Melvin told her, "They're great, Mom. I don't want any other underwear. The bully will leave me alone if I keep wearing this brand. They are wedgie proof!" What is the lesson or theme of this story?

• Cheap underwear wouldn't have lasted either.

• Something good can result from something bad.

• Pricey underwear should last at least a few years.

• Melvin's mom shouldn't have wasted her money.

In the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel," a brother and sister find a house made of candy in the forest, are invited inside by an old woman, and are almost cooked and eaten by the woman, who turns out to be a witch. In "Little Red Riding Hood," a little girl is on her way through the forest to see her grandmother and tells a wolf where the grandmother lives. The wolf races ahead of the little girl and eats her grandmother. What recurring theme is present in both stories?

• Wolves and witches are mean.

• The forest is a dangerous place.

• Do not trust strangers.

• Always be prepared

There are many recurring themes in Shakespeare's plays. In Twelfth Night, the character of Viola disguises herself as a boy and then falls in love with the Count Orsino, the man she is serving. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet takes a sleeping potion the Friar has given her to pretend she is dead. When Romeo sees her lying apparently lifeless, he kills himself. What theme do these two plays have in common?

• Love makes people miserable.

• Things are not always what they appear.

• Never pretend that you are dead.

• Love makes people do crazy things.

Tim hated his old baseball glove. He wanted to play with a new glove, but he didn’t have any money, so he decided to steal it. But when Tim got caught stealing the glove, his parents said he couldn’t play baseball all summer.

• what goes around comes around

• Look before you leap.

• Don't be foolish

• Love conquers all

One day, a poor farmer found a big jar of honey. Excited, he placed it on the top shelf in his kitchen.

That night, the farmer wondered about the jar of honey. "If I sold it, I bet I could buy five sheep. And every year, the sheep would have babies. I would have many lambs. After the lambs grew up, I could sell all of my animals. I would be rich! I would have a wife. And we would have a son! Oh, he would be such a fine boy!"

Lost in his daydream, the farmer swung his arms in excitement. He knocked the honey jar off the shelf. The jar fell on the floor, and the honey was spilled. Now the man had no honey and his dreams were lost.

• Don't get carries away by daydreams

• If you swing your arms you will be rich

• Everything that glitters isn'y always gold

• Slow and steady wins the race

After a cat moved into their house, the mice all lived in fear. Something had to be done. So, one night, the mice held a meeting. They talked and talked, but no one could agree on a plan. Finally, the youngest mouse spoke up.

"The problem is that the cat is so sneaky. We can't hear her when she is near. Let's find a small bell and tie it around her neck. Whenever she moves, the bell will ring. That way, we will always know where she is!"

The other mice clapped and cheered. It was a wonderful plan!

Then, the oldest mouse got up to speak. "All right," he said. "But who will be the one to tie the bell on that cat?"

The mice just looked at one another. Nobody spoke up. They all thought it was a smart idea, but everyone was too scared to actually do it!

• sometimes it is easy to do hard things

• sometimes things are easier said than done

• Don't count your chickens before they hatch

• be brave

Mr. Rat loved Ms. Rat, and she loved him, too. But Mr. Rat wouldn't marry her. He wanted to marry the strongest thing in the world. He thought the Sun was the strongest, so he asked her first. The Sun said, "But the Cloud is stronger than I, for she blocks my light. "So, Mr. Rat went to the Cloud. The Cloud said, "But the Wind is stronger than I, for she pushes me around."So, Mr. Rat went to the Wind next. The Wind said, "But the Wall is stronger than I. No matter how strong I blow, she always stands."So, Mr. Rat went to the Wall. The Wall said, "But there is one thing stronger than I. She can chew holes in me. You have known her all your life, and you are already in love with her."Who is she?" Mr. Rat asked."Ms. Rat, of course!" the Wall answered.

• Sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of you.

• Look before you leap

• A fool believes anything

• what goes around comes around

One day, a little red hen decided to make bread. It was hard work, so she asked the other animals for help. "Who will help me get the wheat from the field?" she asked. Each animal said, "Not I." So, the hen did it herself.

Then she asked, "Who will help me turn the wheat into flour?" Each animal said, "Not I." So, she did it herself.

Then she asked, "Who will help me mix the dough?" Each animal said, "Not I." So, she did it herself.

Later on, the sweet smell of baking bread filled the air. The animals all crowded around the oven. "Who will help me eat the bread?" asked the hen. Each animal said, "I will! I will!"

But the hen said, "No. I will do that myself, too." And she did.

• If you don't work, you will not get a reward

• Good things come to those who wait

• It is important to share with everyone

• Be yourself