A fable is a specific type of traditional story. Fables are short; they often have speaking animals as characters; and they always teach a lesson. You probably know some fables already. Try to complete the narrative arcs for these two examples. The titles and main characters of each fable are given.

Fable 1

Title: “The Tortoise and the Hare”

Main Characters: a tortoise (or turtle) and a hare (or rabbit)

Fable 2

Title: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

Main Characters: a shepherd boy, the people who live in town, a wolf

Notice that the Resolution of a Fable is very special: it is the lesson the story teaches the reader. This is called the “moral of the story.” Only fables have morals. 

Chapter 2 Reading: Fables Part 1

The Flies and the Honey-Pot

A family of Flies smelled a pot of honey that had been left open in a kitchen. They swarmed to it and, crowding around its surface, ate greedily. In order to eat more, they landed on the honey itself. However, their feet sank into the sticky honey. Soon their wings could not lift them. They could not free their feet, and they sank deeper and deeper. All were slowly suffocated in the honey itself.

Moral: Too much pleasure leads to pain.

The Lioness

An argument arose among the animals in a certain forest. They could not agree on which animal had the greatest number of children at a birth. The Fox claimed that she could produce five, six or even more cubs. The Goose replied that she could easily raise eight children. The Wolf snapped that she had ten pups at a time. The argument went on until they remembered the Lioness, the Queen of them all, and decided that she would settle the dispute. So, they came to her, but first, they asked, “And you, Queen, how many children do you have at once?” The Lioness laughed.  “Only one,” she replied, “but that one is a Lion.”

Moral: Quality is more important than quantity.

The Miser

A miser sold everything that he had and bought a lump of gold.  He buried the gold in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily. One of his servants became curious about his movements. After watching the Miser visit the same spot again and again, he returned late at night. He dug down into the earth, found the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on his next visit, found the empty hole and began to pull his hair and to wail in grief. A neighbor, seeing him so overcome, asked what the problem was. When he understood the problem, he said, “Just put a stone in the hole and cover it again. That will do you just as much good as the gold did.”

Moral: Wealth that is not used is wealth that does not exist.

Literature Circle: Fables 1

After reading all three stories, choose a role and form small groups. Your teacher should help choose which roles your class will use.  First, work with others who have the same role that you do. Discuss your task and answer each question until you feel confident enough to teach it to others. Consider creating a visual aid to share with your literature circle. You may choose to work on one fable at a time, or you may choose to do all three fables at once.

Then, form small groups with people who have different roles than you do. Start by reading each fable aloud. Everyone should read a section. Then, share your ideas. Be sure to keep track of time.

• Plot Expert: Create a narrative arc or a timeline for each fable.
• Character Expert: Create a list of the main characters. Write a few sentences to describe the personalities of these characters.
• Sentence Clarifier: Choose a sentence or two that contains difficult vocabulary word. Explain the meaning of each word and the meaning of each sentence.
• Context Expert: Each of these three fables seems to give some advice about how to be happy. Think of a context – a real-life situation – which fits each fable. Describe a person who needs the advice given in the fable.
• Questioner: Write a 5-question quiz about the fable. Give your group the quiz, either verbally (by asking the questions) or with a printed handout.

Fables Part 2

Read these three versions of the same story.

The Ants and the Grasshopper 1

One summer day a Grasshopper who was singing in the sun saw the ants, who were hot and tired, busy gathering and storing grain for the winter.

“Why do you work so hard?” asked the Grasshopper. “There is plenty of food and the day is warm. Sing with me instead.”

“Oh no,” said the Ants.  “Winter is coming. We are storing up food for the winter. You should do the same.”

“Winter is a long time off,” replied the Grasshopper. “I’ll sing and enjoy the day instead.”

When winter came the Grasshopper had no food and was starving.  He went to the Ants’ house and asked for food. “All summer you sang, so now you can dance,” replied the Ants. And they gave him no food.

The Ants and the Grasshopper 2

One summer day a Grasshopper who was singing in the sun saw the Ants, who were hot and tired, busy gathering and storing grain for the winter. One Ant spied him and shouted over to him: “Lazy creature! Aren’t you prepared for winter?”

“This day is too beautiful,” replied the Grasshopper. “I admire your hard work, but I cannot waste such beauty. I have a song to sing.” The Ants shook their heads. Some felt pity, and some felt contempt. They kept working that day and for the rest of the summer.

At the end of summer, the farmer plowed the fields under and sprayed them with insecticide.  All the insects were killed. The Ants died in their dark hole, surrounded by grain they would never eat. The Grasshopper, as he died in the fresh air, remembered the warm summer days and the beautiful songs he had sung, and died happy.

The Ants and the Grasshopper 3

One summer day a Grasshopper who was singing in the sun saw the Ants, who were hot and tired, busy gathering and storing grain for the winter.  He watched them for a while, then continued to sing and feel the warm sun, gaze at the colors of the flowers, and hear the songs of the birds.

When winter came the Grasshopper had no food and was starving.  He went to the Ant’s house and asked for food. “What can you give us in return?” asked the Ants.

“I can give you the summer,” replied the Grasshopper. Puzzled but interested, the Ants opened their door.  He entered their cold, dark hole and began to sing. He sang about the sunshine, the green leaves, the bright flowers and the soaring birds. Listening to his song, the Ants remembered the warmth, the colors, and the joy of summer.  They happily repaid the Grasshopper with a meal, and begged him to stay, to make the long, cold winter bearable.

Literature Circle: Fables 2

After reading all three stories, choose one of the following roles and form small groups. First, work with others who have the same role that you do. Discuss your task and answer each question until you feel confident enough to teach it to others. Consider creating a visual aid to share with your literature circle. You may choose to work on one fable at a time, or you may choose to do all three fables at once.

Then, form small groups with people who have different roles than you do. Start by reading each fable aloud. Everyone should read a section. Then, share your ideas. Be sure to keep track of time.

• Plot Expert: Create a narrative arc or a timeline for each fable. Include about four points. How are the plots the same, and how are they different?
• Character Expert: Compare the personalities of the Ants and the Grasshopper in each story. How does each version of the fable show the different sides of their characters?
• Creative Writer: Each of these three fables is incomplete, because each one lacks a Moral. Write a Moral for each one.
• Questioner: Consider this list of questions. You can also add your own. Discuss them until you understand them well, then choose several questions to ask the next group.

Cultural Values

“Cultural Values” are the beliefs and principles that a group of people share. Fables are a way that cultures and communities share those beliefs.

Cultural values are beliefs about the “best” or “right” ways to behave. They are beliefs about what human qualities are more valuable than others. Some societies have a stronger belief that “Traditional ways are best,” while others believe “Things get better over time.” These cultural values influence the choices people make and the directions of societies.

Cultural values are shared by stories. For example, if “It’s important to be generous” is a cultural value for a group of people, they will tell their children stories where the hero gets rewarded for being generous. If “Show respect for elders” is a cultural value, they will tell scary stories where characters who don’t take care of their grandparents have terrible consequences.

What cultural values do the six fables in this chapter show? Read the first three fables again, then circle what values you think each one demonstrates.

Theme

The “theme” of a story is the large, abstract concept that the writer explores. A theme is not stated directly in a story. Usually, you must read the entire story and understand its plot before the theme becomes clear.

Common themes in literature are love, war, family, and loss. However, literary themes can be more specific. Think back to some of the stories we discussed at the start of this book. The play Romeo and Juliet, for example, explores the themes of romantic love, violence between families, and risking safety for love. The movie Titanic explores the themes of wealth and poverty, the value of love compared to financial security, and self-sacrifice.

Most literary works have more than one theme, especially if they are long. Novels often have five or more recognizable themes.

Go back to the six fables in this chapter. All six explore the theme of “happiness.”  Each fable gives a different perspective on the question, “How can we be happy?” In your own words, explain what message each fable gives us about how to find happiness in our own lives.

Option 1:  Discuss this question in small groups and as a whole class.

Option 2:  Give a short answer explaining how each fable answers the question “How can we be happy?”  Your completed assignment should have six numbered answers. Each answer should indicate the title of the fable. Write two to four sentences for each, explaining the message the fable gives us about how to be happy.

Option 3: Choose one fable and consider how this fable answers the question. Write a paragraph discussing your ideas. Your topic sentence must indicate which fable you are discussing. Include one or more quotes, correctly formatted. You may want to compare to your own beliefs about how to be happy. Do you agree or disagree with the fable’s message?