Themes in Short Stories

Alex loved to win. During recess, he would play every game just to come in first. One day, during a relay race, his friend Tim tripped and fell. Alex could have kept running to win, but instead, he stopped to help Tim. They didn’t win the race, but Alex felt proud of his decision. What is the theme of this story?

• Winning is everything

• Helping others is more important than winning

• Always run fast

• Playtime is fun

The lion thought he was the strongest animal in the jungle. One day, a mouse asked for help, but the lion laughed at him. Later, the lion got caught in a trap, and the mouse came to his rescue. The lion realized something important about even the smallest of friends. What is the theme of this story?

• Always be strong

• Friendship

• Small can be mighty

• Always be happy

Ella was terrified of swimming in the deep end of the pool. Her friend Mia encouraged her to try and promised to stay close. With Mia’s support, Ella slowly swam farther until she felt confident and brave enough to swim on her own. She was no longer scared of the deep end. What is the theme of this story?

• Always stay in the shallow end

• Swimming is scary

• Facing your fears can make you stronger

• Don’t swim with friends

Sarah always won the races at school, so she didn’t practice much. However, during the big race, another student who had been practicing every day ran faster and won. Sarah understood something about effort after the race was over. What is the theme of this story?

• Winning is fun

• Hard work pays off

• Always be first

• Racing is easy

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs who built their own houses. The first pig built a house of straw, the second a house of sticks, and the third a house of bricks. When the big bad wolf came, only the brick house could withstand his huffing and puffing. What is the theme of this story?

• Friendship

• Always work together

• Building strong things lasts longer

• Playing all day

In a village, everyone valued honesty. One day, a boy thought it would be fun to trick the villagers by pretending a wolf was attacking the sheep. When a real wolf appeared later, nobody came to help the boy because they no longer believed him. What is the theme of this story?

• Always be truthful

• Don’t scare people

• Wolves are dangerous

• Villages are safe places

The grasshopper spent his summer playing and singing, while the ant worked hard gathering food for the winter. When the cold season arrived, the grasshopper had no food, but the ant had plenty to last through the winter. What is the theme of this story?

• Always play

• Working hard is important

• Singing is better than working

• Ants are stronger than grasshoppers

Emily saw that her classmate Sam didn’t have lunch one day. Without thinking twice, she gave him half of hers. Sam smiled and thanked Emily, knowing he could count on her when he needed help. What is the theme of this story?

• Always bring a big lunch

• Helping others is kind

• Don’t forget your lunch

• Sharing is bad