Fables and Folktales

Fable: The Dog and His Reflection
A Dog, carrying a bone in his mouth, crossed a bridge and saw his reflection in the water. Thinking it was another dog with a bigger bone, he snapped at it, dropping his own bone into the water.

Question:
What trait does the Dog show?

• Honest

• Greedy

• Brave

• Curious

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Fable: The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
“Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse, “forgive me this time, and I shall never forget it; who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?”
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Some time after, the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts.
“Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.

Question:
What is the central message of this fable?

• Lions are stronger than mice

• Everyone needs help sometimes

• Never go into the jungle

• Friends should always play together

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The Tortoise and the Hare
The Hare laughed at the slow-moving Tortoise and challenged him to a race. Confident in his speed, the Hare raced ahead and took a nap. Meanwhile, the Tortoise kept moving slowly and steadily. When the Hare woke up, he saw the Tortoise near the finish line and rushed to catch up, but it was too late. The Tortoise won the race.

Question:
What lesson does this story teach?

• Don't eat too much before a race

• It's okay to cheat if you win

• Slow and steady wins the race

• Tortoises are faster than rabbits

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Stone Soup:
Three soldiers, tired and hungry, arrived at a village. The villagers were unwilling to share their food, so the soldiers decided to make "stone soup." They placed a large pot of water over a fire and dropped in a stone. Curious, the villagers asked what they were doing. The soldiers replied that they were making soup and that it would be even better with a few ingredients. One by one, the villagers brought carrots, potatoes, onions, and other vegetables. Soon, they had a delicious soup to share.

Question:
What is the central message?

• Be careful of strangers.

• It’s fun to cook soup.

• Sharing with others brings people together.

• Soup should always have meat.

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The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A shepherd boy, watching over his flock of sheep, cried out, “Wolf! Wolf!” even though there was no wolf. The villagers rushed to his aid, but he laughed and said it was just a joke. Later, when a wolf actually appeared and threatened the sheep, the boy cried out again, but this time, no one believed him, and the wolf attacked the flock.

Question:
What is the lesson of the story?

• Always play outside.

• Don’t run from wolves.

• Wolves are not scary.

• Don’t lie or people won’t trust you.

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Folktale: Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
Anansi the Spider discovered a magical moss-covered rock that made anyone who said its name fall asleep. He used this to trick the other animals into giving him their food. However, Little Bush Deer overheard and tricked Anansi into falling asleep. The other animals reclaimed their food, and Anansi learned a lesson about greed.

Question:
What trait best describes Anansi?

• Kind

• Helpful

• Sneaky

• Silly

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