Ebook Code:
REAU1121
Language through Literature
Aesop’s Fables
Language activities for 8-10 year olds
By
Elizabeth
Swasbrook
Acknowledgements
i. Clip art images have been obtained from
Microsoft Design Gallery Live and are used
under the terms of the End User License
Agreement for Microsoft Word 2000. Please
refer to www.microsoft.com/permission.
Title: Language Through Literature
Aesop’s Fables
© 2001 Ready-Ed Publications
Revised 2010
Printed in Australia
Author: Elizabeth Swasbrook
Illustrator: Terry Allen
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Page 2
Contents
Teachers’ Notes
4
The Wolf and the Ass
The Wolf and the Ass Activity 1
The Wolf and the Ass Activity 2
The Wolf and the Ass 3 Activity 3
The Wolf and the Ass Activity 4
6
7
8
9
10
The Hen and the Fox
The Hen and the Fox Activity 1
The Hen and the Fox Activity 2
11
12
13
The Bullfrog and the Ox
The Bullfrog and the Ox Activity 1
The Bullfrog and the Ox Activity 2
The Bullfrog and the Ox Activity 3
14
15
16
17
The Wind and the Sun
The Wind and the Sun Activity 1
The Wind and the Sun Activity 2
18
19
20
The Fox and the Crow
The Fox and the Crow Activity 1
The Fox and the Crow Activity 2
21
22
23
The Dog and the Ass
The Dog and the Ass Activity 1
The Dog and the Ass Activity 2
The Dog and the Ass Activity 3
24
25
26
27
The Wolf and the Crane
The Wolf and the Crane Activity 1
The Wolf and the Crane Activity 2
The Wolf and the Crane Activity 3
28
29
30
31
Belling the Cat
Belling the Cat Activity 1
Belling the Cat Activity 2
Belling the Cat Activity 3
32
33
34
35
The Two Boys and the Frogs
The Two Boys and the Frogs Activity 1
The Two Boys and the Frogs Activity 2
36
37
38
The Fox and the Stork
The Fox and the Stork Activity 1
The Fox and the Stork Activity 2
39
40
41
The Boy who Cried Wolf
The Boy who Cried Wolf Activity 1
The Boy who Cried Wolf Activity 2
42
43
44
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
Activity 1
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
Activity 2
45
The Wolf And The Lamb
The Wolf and the Lamb Activity 1
The Wolf and the Lamb Activity 2
48
49
50
Answers
46
47
51 - 55
Page 3
Teachers’ Notes
This language book, ‘Aesop’s Fables, together with the accompanying
worksheets, has been designed to assist teachers with the current
focus on utilizing Student Outcome Statements in their teaching of
language concepts. The aim is to develop Speaking, Listening, Viewing
and Reading with ‘purpose, understanding and critical awareness’
and Writing ‘for a range of purposes using appropriate forms and
conventions’.
The stories themselves will be a source of great enjoyment to the children
and could, through a thematic approach, be used to cover other areas of
the school curriculum A few suggestions are:
• Developing Speaking and Listening skills through role-play.
• Reading for pleasure.
• Children’s viewpoints on moral values related to social behaviour.
• Research based on ‘What children would like to find out’.
• Art and Craft activities.
Outcome Statements
Outcome statements have been included on the bottom of each activity
page, so that teachers can link the activities with required outcomes as set
down in relevant syllabus documents and curriculum frameworks.
Page 4
Definitions of Grammatical Terms
The words in the English language are classified as parts of speech and are named
according to the work they do. There are eight parts of speech:
Nouns – words which are the names of persons, animals, places or things.
The four kinds of nouns are: common, proper, collective, abstract.
Verbs – ‘doing’ words or words which show action.
Pronouns – words which take the place of nouns.
Adjectives – words that describe nouns or pronouns.
Adverbs – words that modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
Prepositions – the first word of a phrase, showing the relation between one thing and another.
Conjunctions – ‘joining words’.
Interjections, also called exclamations – words that express strong feelings.
•
A sentence that states a fact is called a
statement. A statement begins with a
capital letter and ends with a full stop.
•
A sentence that asks a question is called
a question sentence. It begins with a
capital letter and ends with a question
mark.
•
A sentence that expresses strong
feelings is called an exclamatory
sentence. It begins with a capital and
ends with an exclamation mark.
•
Sentences can be simple or complex.
•
Sentences can be made interesting by
adding phrases and/or clauses.
•
Phrases and clauses can be adjectival or
adverbial.
•
A phrase is a small group of words
which begins with a preposition and
ends with a noun or pronoun.
•
A clause is a group of words which
begins with a preposition and ends
with a noun or pronoun.
•
A sentence can be divided into two
parts called the subject and predicate.
-The subject is the person or thing being
talked about.
-The predicate states what is being said
about the person or thing.
-The verb is always found in the
predicate.
•
Punctuation marks include:
Full stops Capital letters
Question marks Exclamation marks
Commas Apostrophes
Quotation marks Colons
Semicolons Hyphens
Dashes
•
Homophones are words that sound
alike, but are spelt differently and have
different meanings, e.g. made/maid.
•
Homonyms are words that sound alike
and have the same spelling, but have
different meanings, e.g. hold (to grasp
and keep); hold (part in ship or plane for
cargo).
Page 5
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Ass
Once
Upon a
time
Ass was feeding peacefully in a meadow. On turning
around he noticed Wolf moving about very slyly among
the dark trees nearby. Knowing that Wolf was waiting for a
chance to make a meal of him, Ass quickly thought of a
clever plan to save himself from certain death.
Ass pretended to be lame. He began to hobble about and limp. He dragged
one hind leg as if in great pain. Wolf came up to Ass, ready for the kill.
“Wait a moment, Wolf,” said Ass trying to be brave. “Before you kill me and
make a meal of me, help to get out this large thorn sticking in my foot.”
“Tell me why should I do that, Ass?” asked Wolf.
“I was only thinking of your good, Wolf,” answered Ass. “Go ahead and eat me
but don’t blame me if you get that terrible thorn stuck in your throat!”
“Now that you mention it, I think I will be better to get
the thorn out,” said Wolf, coming closer.
Ass lifted his hind foot and as Wolf bent down to pull out the supposed
thorn, he gave him one very hard kick right in the middle of his forehead.
Wolf flipped over backwards and by the time he picked himself up Ass had
bolted across the meadow and out of sight. Wolf, dazed from the awful pain
in his head, went the other way, ashamed at being tricked by an ass.
– Moral: Don’t believe all that you see and hear. –
Page 6
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Ass
Activity 1
A sentence that states a fact is called a statement.
It begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
1. Write three short statements about yourself.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Read the story “The Wolf and the Ass” and find three statements in paragraph two.
Write them below.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Illustrate one of your statements.
Outcome: Children use basic linguistic structure and features for statement sentences.
Page 7
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Ass
Activity 2
Part 1
Part 2
Match the two parts of the following statements.
Ass
saved him from death.
Wolf
flipped over backwards.
This sharp thorn
was feeding peacefully.
His clever plan
is stuck in my foot.
Silly Wolf
moved about very slyly.
Answer the following questions in statement sentences.
a. Where was the ass feeding? __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
b. What chance was Wolf waiting for? ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
c. What did Ass ask Wolf to do? _________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
d. Where did Ass’ kick land? ____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
e. Why was Wolf ashamed? ____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children use basic linguistic structure and features for statement sentences.
Page 8
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Ass
Activity 3
Part 1
Read the long sentence and write three statements.
You will need to leave out some words.
Ass lifted his hind foot and as Wolf bent down to pull out the supposed thorn,
he gave him one very hard kick right in the middle of his forehead.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Tick the sentences below that are statements and
rewrite them on the lines below.
Once upon a time
As if in great pain
Wolf wished to make a meal of him.
Waiting for a chance
It will be better to get the thorn out.
Wolf was dazed from the awful pain.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part 3
Answer these questions.
a. What is the moral of the story? Discuss it with your teacher first.
___________________________________________________________________
b. Is it a statement or not?
___________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children use basic linguistic structure and features for statement sentences.
Page 9
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Ass
Activity 4
Find the words listed in the boxes
and colour them in.
The words are in the story “The Wolf and the Ass”.
Add your own words to each list.
a b a r o u n d
s
a
v
e
c
d
l
a
r
g
e
t
r
i
c
k
e
d
e
f
s
e
e
g
h
p
a
i
n
x
d
a
r
k
a
b
c
i
s
t
i
c
k
i
n
g
h
a
r
d
j
f
e
e
d
i
n
g
k
l
m
n
e
a
t
o
p
q
b
s
h
a
r
p
j
r
s
t
u
e
f
g
o
t
h
o
r
n
r
v
w
x
y
p
e
a
c
e
f
u
ll
y
p
q
o
u
t
z
a
b
o
u
t
s
a
v
e
d
e
f
g
h
j
w
a
i
t
k
n
o
w
e
m
a
l
i
s
t
u
c
k
b
r
a
v
e
y
q
d
o
w
n
l
m
n
o
p
r
t
r
e
e
s
s
‘ee’
‘ea’
‘ou’
‘a-e’
‘ai’
feeding
see
trees
peacefully
meal
eat
around
out
about
lame
brave
save
pain
wait
‘ar’
large
sharp
hard
dark
‘or’
thorn
‘ck’
‘ow’
now
down
sticking
Outcome: Children identify common features of vocabulary in a given text.
Page 10
stuck
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Hen and the Fox
One
fine
day,
Fox happened to be passing a very tall tree. On looking
up he noticed Hen seated on the highest branch. He had
been looking for a meal and there was one. Fox licked his
lips while he thought of a plan to bring Hen down. She
would make a juicy meal, one he needed right away.
“Good morning, Hen!” Fox said very politely.
“Whatever are you doing so high up? There’s no danger around
here. Haven’t you heard of the new law that has been passed?”
Hen, knowing how cunning all foxes were, didn’t say
a word and kept her cosy seat on the branch.
“I can see you haven’t heard of the new law, so I’d better tell you,” Fox
continued very softly. “The law states that no animal can hurt a bird or
another animal and no bird can hurt an animal. There’s now peace in
our kingdom so do come down as there’s nobody here to hurt you.”
Hen pretended not to hear Fox and kept looking ahead.
Wondering what she was looking at, he asked,
“Whatever are you staring at, Hen? It must be mighty
interesting as you have not heard a word I’ve said.”
“Oh, I’m just watching a pack of wild dogs
and they seem to be heading this way.”
“Is that so,” answered Fox, a note of alarm in his
voice. “I’d better be moving off now. Good day to you, Hen.”
“Please don’t go,” called Hen, smiling to herself. “I was just
planning to come down to hear all about this new law. If
there’s peace in our kingdom the dogs won’t harm you.”
“No, no, but they may not have heard of this new law yet, so I’d better
be on my way,” and saying that Fox slunk off as quickly as he could.
– Moral: Be careful of sudden offers of friendship. –
Page 11
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Hen and the Fox
Activity 1
Some sentences can also ask questions.
Part 1
Write three questions you would like to ask your friend.
•
________________________________________________________________
•
________________________________________________________________
•
________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Read the story “The Hen and the Fox” and write down the
questions you come across. You should find three.
•
________________________________________________________________
•
________________________________________________________________
•
________________________________________________________________
Part 3
Match the following questions and statements.
The statements are the answers to the questions.
QUESTIONS
STATEMENTS
a. Where was Hen seated?
Hen pretended to see a pack of
dogs heading their way.
b. What was Fox looking for?
Fox slunk away because he was
afraid of the pack of dogs.
c. Did Fox make up the new law?
Hen was seated on the highest
branch of the tall tree.
d. What did Hen pretend to see?
Fox was looking for a juicy meal.
e. Why did Fox slink away?
Yes, Fox made up the new law.
Outcome: Children use linguistic knowledge to explore statements.
Page 12
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Hen and the Fox
Activity 2
Statements can often be changed into questions. For example: Hen was seated on the highest branch.
can change to Was Hen seated on the highest branch?
Part 1
Change the following statements into questions:
a. Fox had been looking for a meal.
________________________________________________________________
b. There is no danger around here.
________________________________________________________________
c. You haven’t heard of the new law.
________________________________________________________________
d. Hen did know all foxes are cunning.
________________________________________________________________
e. Hen was planning to come down to hear the new law.
________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Read the story again and answer the following questions:
a. What kind of day was it? ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
b. Why do you think Fox needed a meal right away? _______________________
________________________________________________________________
c. According to Fox, what new law had been passed? ______________________
________________________________________________________________
d. In what way was Hen equally cunning?________________________________
________________________________________________________________
e. What did Fox say about the pack of dogs? _____________________________
________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children use linguistic knowledge to explore statements.
Page 13
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Bullfrog and the Ox
Once
Upon a
time,
a well-built, well-dressed ox went for a walk along a country road.
He felt very proud of himself because he knew he looked good.
Many animals he met on the way stopped to look at him. Some
greeted him by waving their caps while a few even bowed.
Passing a huge pond, he noticed a group of frogs. Among
them was a bullfrog. He hopped on the bank and stared at Ox.
He felt he could make himself just as fine as this proud Ox.
“I can make myself just as fine as Ox,” he called to his friends. “Just
watch me.” He began to puff himself till he became twice his size.
Bullfrog now hopped beside Ox thinking he looked just as grand. By the
looks on the faces of the other frogs, he knew he was not. He began to puff
himself out some more and then some more. His friends became worried.
“Stop that, Bullfrog,” they shouted. “You’ll only hurt
yourself. Please don’t, we beg you!”
Bullfrog was so sure he could make himself like Ox that he refused
to listen. He continued to puff himself till he burst. His remains
were scattered all over the path but Ox just walked on.
– Moral: Try to be yourself and not somebody else. –
Page 14
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Bullfrog and the Ox
Activity 1
You can use phrases telling ‘when’ or ‘where’ to make your writing more interesting.
Part 1
Part 2
Tick whether the following phrases tells ‘when’ or ‘where’:
Use the phrases to create sentences of your own on the lines below.
a. near the shopping centre
when
where
b. before dinner
when
where
c. at midday
when
where
d. across the busy road
when
where
The sentences below have been taken from the story.
Write whether each underlined phrase tells ‘when’ or ‘where’:
a. Ox went for a walk along a country road.
_____________
b. Passing a huge pond, he noticed a group of frogs.
_____________
c. His remains were scattered all over the path.
_____________
d. He continued to puff himself till he burst.
_____________
e. He hopped on the bank and stared at Ox.
_____________
Part 3
Underline the two phrases in each of the sentences below:
a. In the early morning well-dressed Ox walked beside a huge pond.
b. After midday he stopped to rest under a shady tree.
c. Before long Bullfrog found Ox and walked by his side.
d. During the walk Bullfrog’s puffed body burst near the frog pond.
e. By late evening the proud Ox returned to the green meadow.
Outcome: Children explore features of language that make sentences interesting.
Page 15
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Bullfrog and the Ox
Activity 2
Using a phrase to begin a sentence can make it more interesting.
Part 1
Rewrite the sentences below, placing the underlined words at the
beginning.
Example: Giant gum trees grew beside the lake.
Beside the lake grew giant gum trees.
a. The frogs leaped in and out of the water. _________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
b. The proud ox strutted down the dusty road. ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
c. Bullfrog thought he looked grand in the bright sunlight. ____________________
___________________________________________________________________
d. The heartless ox laughed throughout the night. ___________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Now try a sentence of your own using the phrase ‘on the hilltop’ at
the beginning.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Draw a picture to show the interesting part of your sentence.
Outcome: Children draw on linguistic knowledge to explore sentence construction.
Page 16
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Bullfrog and the Ox
Activity 3
Pretend you are Bullfrog. The other frogs call you foolish.
Do you think they were right or wrong? Give reasons for your answer.
Write the answer on the lines. Colour in the rest of the picture.
Outcome: Children use point of view to demonstrate understanding of text.
Page 17
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wind and the Sun
One
late
morning the Wind and Sun met. As they chatted about
their part in the weather patterns on the earth, they
began to quarrel as to which one was the stronger.
“I’m stronger than you,” howled the Wind.
“Don’t be silly, Wind, I’m much stronger than you,” blasted the Sun.
As they looked down upon the earth, they noticed a
weary traveller making his way homewards.
“Let this be our challenge,” whistled the Wind. “Whoever makes
the traveller take off his heavy cloak will be stronger.”
“Agreed,” smiled the Sun. “Since you suggested it, you go first.”
Wind began to blow. He blew and blew. The trees began to shake and bend.
The leaves on the ground were lifted upwards and blown in every direction.
The poor traveller tried to draw his cloak closer around him, but each time it
blew outwards. The sand stung his face. He had lost his hat and all he could
do was to hold onto his cloak. The Wind continued to blow even harder
which made a rip in his cloak, but he held on. Tired, the wind gave up.
It was the Sun’s turn. He looked at the traveller and smiled. His smile drove
the grey clouds away. As his smile grew they scurried away quickly. The Wind
noticed the traveller was no longer holding his cloak. The Sun continued to
smile, though it was much wider now which made his rays really hot. The
traveller took off his cloak, threw it on the ground and sank beside it.
The Wind accepted his defeat with a puff and went on his way. The Sun
knew that the Wind would think twice before he challenged him again.
– Moral: Force or strength doesn’t always win. –
Page 18
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wind and the Sun
Activity 1
Nouns, sometimes called naming words, are words that are the names of persons,
places, things, animals and birds. Example: Mary, girl, home, pencil, whale, ant.
Part 1
Answer the questions about nouns below.
a. Name five things you have on your desk:
_________
____________
___________
____________
___________
___________
____________
___________
___________
____________
___________
___________
____________
___________
___________
____________
___________
____________
___________
___________
____________
___________
___________
____________
___________
b. Name five things you wear:
_________
____________
c. Name five things you play with:
_________
____________
d. Name five parts of your body:
_________
____________
e. Name five friends:
_________
____________
f. Name five members of your family:
_________
____________
___________
g. Name five places where you can play:
_________
____________
h. Name any five animals or birds:
_________
Part 2
____________
Read the story “The Wind and the Sun” and list ten nouns:
_________
____________
___________
____________
___________
_________
____________
___________
____________
___________
Part 3
Draw one of the nouns you listed above on the back of this page.
Outcome: Children recognize nouns in written text.
Page 19
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wind and the Sun
Activity 2
You can use ‘picture words’ or adjectives to make nouns more interesting.
Part 1
Look at the story of “The Wind and the Sun”.
Find two interesting adjectives to go with five nouns from the story.
Example: huge, shady trees
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________________
e. ___________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Use your dictionary to find out whether the following can be
nouns. Tick or cross each box.
morning
patterns
challenge
weary
silly
way
direction
strength
quarrel
stronger
blasted
defeat
Part 3
Choose three you have ticked and
use them in sentences of your own.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children recognize and identify features of adjectives and nouns.
Page 20
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Fox and the Crow
One
warm
March afternoon, Crow sat on a high branch of a shady
tree. She had a piece of cheese in her beak. She had
found it in the sand and picked it up. This was going to
be a nice titbit and she sat to rest and enjoy her snack.
Fox happened to pass that way searching
for something to eat. Looking up, he noticed Crow
with a delicious piece of cheese in her beak.
“I’m hungry, really hungry,” he said to himself. “I must think
of a way of making Crow drop that piece of cheese.”
Using his best manners and wearing a broad smile he
began to speak aloud, hoping Crow was listening.
“I don’t know whether anyone has ever told Crow before what a beautiful
creature she is. Her feathers are such a glossy black that they shine. Her tail
feathers are just the right size. Her beak is so finely shaped.”
Slyly, he looked up to find that Crow was listening
in a very interested way. “I haven’t seen a more
beautiful bird than the one seated on the
branch of this tree. If only her voice was as
sweet and melodious, she could be crowned
Queen Crow, the queen of birds,” he continued.
Crow was charmed by the words she had heard.
She thought it was time to show Fox what a lovely
voice she
really had so she could be called queen of birds. She opened her beak
to sing. As she cawed, the piece of cheese fell on the ground, right at the
feet of Fox. He was delighted, grabbed the cheese and gobbled it up.
Looking up he sniggered, “Crow, I must admit you can caw, but
what you cannot do is use your wits. Had you done so, you would
not have lost your meal.”
With that he laughed and went on his way.
Moral: Be careful of those
who flatter you. Flattery
is not always true.
Page 21
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Fox and the Crow
Activity 1
Two groups of nouns that you use in writing are common nouns and proper nouns. Aesop changed
common nouns into proper nouns for the names of characters in his fables.
Part 1
Place the nouns listed below into the correct group:
tree, beak, Crow, tail, Fox, voice, cheese, Queen, feathers.
Common nouns
Proper nouns
Name the following. Remember to begin
special names with capital letters:
Part 2
a. your name
______________________________________________
b. your birth month
______________________________________________
c. your school
______________________________________________
d. your best friend
______________________________________________
e. your street
______________________________________________
f. your city
______________________________________________
g. your pet
______________________________________________
Part 3
Read the story “The Fox and the Crow” and fill in the blanks with
the proper nouns given below. (You will need to choose the words
that fit best.)
Ford Peter Queen’s Park Saturday Reynard Sandy red gum Jones Pam Edam
One warm ...................... afternoon, Crow found a piece of ......................
cheese on ...................... beach. She picked it up in her beak and flew to ......................
...................... .
......................, the Fox, in search of food, saw Crow seated on a high branch of a
...................... ...................... tree.
The ...................... family arrived in their new ...................... car to have a picnic in the park.
Their two children ...................... and ...................... saw Crow drop the cheese and Fox
make a quick getaway after snapping it up.
Outcome: Children identify and use common and proper nouns.
Page 22
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of nouns and their use.
Page 23
10. ____________________
8. _____________________
5. _____________________
4. _____________________
7. _____________________
2. _____________________
1. _____________________
9. _____________________
6. _____________________
3. _____________________
1. Name ten things you see in the picture
2. Colour the picture
Activity 2
The Fox and the Crow
• AESOP’S FABLES •
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Dog and the Ass
Once
Upon a
time,
a well-to-do man owned a little dog and an ass. He loved
Dog very much, fed him well and kept him in the house.
He played with Dog, allowed him to sit in his lap and also
bought him nice treats whenever he went out. The servants
loved Dog and he appeared to be thoroughly spoilt.
Ass was treated well too. He had a comfortable stable and plenty of oats and hay for
his meals. The one difference was that Ass was put to work all day every day. He had to
pull heavy loads and even turn the grinding stones at the mill. He would return to his
stable exhausted and this did not please him at all. He envied Dog’s happy, carefree life.
“What makes you so special, Dog?” he asked him, the day Dog came to
the stable. “Why do I have to work for my keep and you don’t?”
Dog just yapped merrily, wagged his tail and left.
“I’m going to try one of my bright ideas and see whether it works,” Ass called after Dog.
The next day, instead of going to the mill, Ass came to his master’s house. He
romped around and, being clumsy, he knocked off tables, jumped onto the couch
and behaved just like a little dog. When the master returned that evening, he was
shocked to see so much confusion in his home. As he sat down to rest, Ass jumped
into his lap and nearly knocked him over. The servants thought Ass had gone mad and
fearing he might hurt their master, beat him hard and drove him out of the house.
Ass returned to the stable, his body bruised and his pride hurt. He lay
down in a corner and mumbled over and over again, “Why did I make a
fool of myself trying to behave like a little dog?” Later, he swore he would
try to be content and never, never again imitate someone else.
Moral: Be yourself and don’t pretend to be someone else.
Page 24
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Dog and the Ass
Activity 1
Pronouns are used in place of nouns so that words aren’t repeated.
Example:
Part 1
Dog sat in his master’s lap. Dog was spoilt.
Dog sat in his master’s lap. He was spoilt.
Make up sentences of your own using the following pronouns:
•you •he •we •it
a. __________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________
c. __________________________________________________________________
d. __________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Fill in the blanks with the following pronouns:
•me •him •her •us •them
a. Mum gave ...................... a lovely present.
b. Give ...................... back the box of
pencils.
d. The children met ...................... at the
shopping centre.
e. Mrs Stevens saw ...................... in the
park.
c. ...................... dress is in the cupboard.
Draw a picture of Ass sitting in the master’s lap.
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of pronouns in everyday language.
Page 25
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Dog and the Ass
Activity 2
Remember, that pronouns can be used to avoiding repeating words or phrases.
Part 1
Rewrite the sentences below using pronouns where necessary to
avoid repetition:
a. The rich man had a dog and an ass. The rich man did not treat the dog and the ass alike.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
b. The man loved Dog. The man played with Dog and bought Dog nice treats.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
c. Ass worked hard all day. Ass had to pull heavy loads.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
d. Ass was jealous of Dog. Ass wished to be treated like Dog.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
e. Ass had a bright idea. Ass hoped the idea would work.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
f. Ass romped around like Dog. Ass behaved in the same way as Dog.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
g. Ass jumped on the master’s lap. Ass nearly knocked the master over.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
h. The servants thought Ass was mad. The servants beat Ass and drove Ass out.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Read the story “The Dog and the Ass”. With the help of your
teacher make a list of all the pronouns you come across.
Outcome: Children explore the use of pronouns in written text.
Page 26
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of logical sequencing in written text.
Page 27
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
You have been asked to tell the story of how Ass tried to be special like Dog in “The Dog and the Ass” for your next
news session.Write what you intend to say in the following news plan: Illustrate each step of your news plan.
Activity 3
The Dog and the Ass
• AESOP’S FABLES •
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Crane
rushed around like a mad creature,
howling and howling. He had
just enjoyed a wonderful meal
but unfortunately swallowed
a sharp bone. It was now
stuck in his throat. It hurt so
much that all he could do was howl in pain.
Wolf
“Please someone, help me,” he
cried. “I have a horrible bone stuck in my throat. I hereby promise
to give a huge reward to anyone who will pull it out.”
Wolf’s cries were heard by all the creatures around. His promise of a
huge reward soon spread like wildfire. But no animal or bird felt brave
enough to go near Wolf, let alone pull out a bone from his throat.
Eventually, Wolf’s awful howl reached the ears of Crane. He was a large bird with a
long beak and knew he was just the one for the job. He thought of the reward and
how rich he would be, richer than all the other creatures around. Taking off from
his marshland home, Crane arrived at the right spot, drawn by Wolf’s howls.
“I’m Crane,” he introduced himself to Wolf. “I’m here to remove
the bone from your throat and claim the reward.”
“Welcome, welcome,” Wolf howled. “Please attend to me at once.”
Wolf opened his mouth wide. Crane poked his head inside Wolf’s mouth
and with his long pointed beak, quickly pulled out the bone.
“Now may I have my reward, Wolf?” Crane asked politely. “I have removed
the bone from your throat and you are now completely well.”
“Reward!” Wolf yapped rudely. “How dare you ask for a reward, Crane! Isn’t it reward
enough that I didn’t chop your head off with my sharp teeth when you placed
it inside my mouth? You’re very
fortunate that I allowed you to live.”
Wolf threw back his head and laughed
aloud. Disappointed, poor Crane flew back
to his marshland home, saying to himself, “I
must remember never to help an enemy.”
Moral: Don’t expect thanks from an
enemy and you won’t be disappointed.
Page 28
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Crane
Activity 1
Words that show something being done are called doing words or verbs.
Part 1
Here are ten words that make you do something:
sit smile sing walk run talk wave lift pick eat
Can you think of another ten you do each day?
____________
____________
___________
____________
___________
____________
____________
___________
____________
___________
Part 2
Find a verb to show what sounds these animals make:
dogs _________________
cats __________________
donkeys ______________
monkeys ______________
elephants _____________
lions _________________
horses ________________
cows _________________
pigs _________________
Part 3
Match the following animals with the way they move:
birds
strut
ducks
crawl
peacocks
trot
worms
creep
insects
fly
snakes
climb
kangaroos
monkeys
horses
cats
waddle
glide
wriggle
hop
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of the use of verbs.
Page 29
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Crane
Activity 2
Remember that verbs are words that show something being done.
Part 1
You will find many verbs in the story “The Wolf and the Crane”.
Write the verbs in the sentences below.
a. Wolf rushed around like a mad creature. __________________________________
b. He howled in pain. ___________________________________________________
c. He called out for help. ________________________________________________
d. He promised a reward to whoever pulled it out.____________________________
e. No animal or bird felt brave enough to go near the wolf._____________________
Part 2
Use the given verbs to fill in the blanks.
opened removed flew poked reached
a. Wolf’s howl ............................................ the ears of Crane.
b. Crane ............................................ from his marshland home.
c. Wolf ............................................ his mouth wide.
d. Crane ............................................ his head inside Wolf’s throat.
e. At last he ............................................ the bone from Wolf’s throat.
Part 3
Find all the verbs in the following passage. Write them below.
Wolf threw back his head and laughed aloud. Disappointed, poor crane flew back to
his marshland home, saying to himself, “I must remember never to help an enemy.”
Outcome: Children explore the use of verbs in language.
Page 30
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Crane
Activity 3
Do the Story Map after reading the fable “The Wolf and the Crane”.
Draw pictures in sequence to retell the story. Write a sentence about each picture.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of written text through illustrations.
Page 31
• AESOP’S FABLES •
Belling the Cat
Once
long
ago,
the mice in a farmer’s
barn huddled
together in their
holes, too afraid
to venture out. Cat, their worst
enemy, was constantly on the prowl,
waiting her chance to pounce.
Being big, she usually killed
with a single blow of her strong
paw. Not a single mouse wished
to become her next meal.
“Whatever are we
going to do?” asked
one mouse who hadn’t
eaten for two whole days. “We’re
bound to starve and die anyway.”
“I suggest we get together and have a
meeting,” said another. “Maybe we can
plan how best to get rid of our enemy.”
“Agreed! We meet late tonight when
cat is asleep,” said a third voice.
The meeting was attended by a large
number of mice, young and old, big
and small, fat and thin. Many plans were
discussed and many ideas exchanged
but not one was thought to be good
enough. They were about ready to give
up when one young mouse spoke up.
Page 32
“I’ve just thought of a very good
plan, at least I think it’s good!”
“Come on, out with it,”
came a chorus of voices.
“Why don’t we place a bell around
Cat’s neck,” the young mouse
spoke proudly. “Every time
she moves, the bell will
tinkle and we’ll know
she’s out and about. It
will be a warning for us
to get out of her way.”
Everyone thought this was an excellent
idea and cheered the bright young
mouse. It was the best they had heard so
far. Suddenly, an old mouse crouching in
one corner of the hole, who had listened
quietly so far, raised his voice and said,
“Wait a moment, my friends. I
agree, it is a wonderful plan but can
someone tell me who is going to
place the bell around Cat’s neck?”
There was a pin-drop silence in the hole.
Moral: Some plans are very
difficult to carry out.
• AESOP’S FABLES •
Belling the Cat
Activity 1
You can use “picture words” to make nouns and verbs more interesting. Picture words that describe
nouns are called adjectives; picture words that describe verbs are called adverbs.
Part 1
Write a picture word (adjective) for each of the following:
.......................................garden
.........................................ocean
......................................... friend
........................................ flower
Part 2
............................................park
Write a picture word (adverb) for each of the following:
listens ........................................
talks............................................
walks .........................................
sings ..........................................
watches.....................................
Read the story “Belling the Cat” and find picture words
that describe the following nouns and verbs:
Part 3
Adjective
Noun
Verb
............................................
idea
huddled
...........................................
............................................
paw
venture
...........................................
............................................
enemy
listened
...........................................
............................................
mouse
spoke
...........................................
............................................
plan
meet
...........................................
Part 4
Adverb
Draw pictures to describe a noun and
a verb from the list above:
Noun
Verb
Outcome: Children explore the use of adjectives and adverbs.
Page 33
• AESOP’S FABLES •
Belling the Cat
Activity 2
Remember, adjectives and adverbs can be used to make nouns and verbs more interesting.
Part 1
Write the two adjectives in each of the following sentences:
a. Cat was big and strong. _______________________________________________
b. The frightened mice hid in the old barn. __________________________________
c. Not a single mouse wished to become the next meal. _______________________
d. The meeting was attended by fat and thin mice. ___________________________
e. Everyone cheered the bright young mouse. _______________________________
Part 2
Write the one adverb in each of the sentences below:
a. The bell must be placed around Cat’s neck. _______________________________
b. An old mouse suddenly raised his voice. __________________________________
c. The mice knew Cat prowled constantly. __________________________________
d. Cat usually killed with a single blow. _____________________________________
e. The mice got together for a meeting. ____________________________________
Part 3
Fill in the blanks with the given picture words.
instantly out patiently sneakily hungrily strong clever tiny young narrow
Cat crept ...................... up to the ...................... hole. She waited ...................... for a ......................
mouse to pop ...................... . She would raise her ...................... paw and kill the ......................
creature ...................... . ...................... she licked her lips, little knowing the ...................... mice
decided to remain hidden.
Part 4
Use your dictionary to find out whether the picture words
underlined are adjectives or adverbs.
a. difficult plan
............................................
d. whole days
......................................
b. get together
............................................
e. place around ......................................
c. die anyway
............................................
f. single mouse ......................................
Outcome: Children explore the use of adjectives and adverbs in written text.
Page 34
• AESOP’S FABLES •
Belling the Cat
Activity 3
Part 1
Circle what
you think Cat
was dreaming
about.
Part 2
Write a short story on
“Cat’s Dream”.
“CAT’S DREAM”
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children use short story format to interpret meaning from written text.
Page 35
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Two Boys and the Frogs
“Let’s go down to the pond, Jim,” invited his friend, Bill.
“I believe there are heaps of frogs in the pond.”
“Yes, let’s go!” shouted Bill excitedly. “It will be fun to pelt them with
stones and see them jumping and leaping out of the way.”
Off the two boys ran to the pond nearby, their pockets full of pebbles.
Sure enough, the pond was full of frogs of all sizes. The younger ones
seemed to be having a great time croaking and leaping in and out of
the water. Some of the older frogs were seated on the large lily leaves
with their sticky tongues flipping out to trap careless flies.
Bill and Jim watched them for a while. Then they pulled out their largest stones and
began to pelt the poor helpless frogs. Each time one of them struck a frog, it fell into
the water never to rise again. Each time, they cheered and clapped their hands.
“Take aim at that one or aim for the one nearest to you,”
they would yell to one another and laugh.
In a short time, many frogs lay dead beneath the water. One old bullfrog
who couldn’t bear to see this useless killing go on, puffed himself to
a good size and croaked loudly, “Stop that, you cruel boys! Stop that,
this minute! What you think is fun is not fun to us but death!”
Ashamed, the boys ran away.
Moral: Treat others as you would like them to treat you.
Page 36
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Two Boys and the Frogs
Activity 1
After reading the story, answer these questions.
1. What did the boys collect before they visited the pond? .....................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
2. Why do you think the boys may not have told their mothers the reason why they
wished to visit the pond? .................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
3. If they had, what do you think their mothers would have said? ........................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
4. What do you think of Bill’s suggestion and of their actions later on? ..............................
....................................................................................................................................................................
5. If you were Jim, would you have followed Bill’s suggestion? Why or why not?
....................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
6. Would the boys have enjoyed stones being thrown at them? Why or why not?
....................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
7. If you were one of the frogs, what would you say to the boys?
Write your words in the balloon.
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of written text.
Page 37
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Two Boys and the Frogs
Activity 2
An exclamation mark (!) is used to show strong feelings such as happiness, pain, sadness or anger.
Part 1
Make up four short sentences of your own to show strong feelings
of joy, pain, sorrow and anger. Remember to begin each sentence
with a capital letter and end with an exclamation mark.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________________
Part 2
Read the story “The Two Boys and the Frogs” and copy three
of the sentences that end with exclamation marks.
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
Part 3
Imagine you are one of the boys throwing stones: Make up four
exciting sentences. Example: That shot was a beauty!
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children explore the use of exclamation marks in language.
Page 38
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Fox and the Stork
“Stork, I would like you to come over to my home
for dinner tonight,” invited Fox politely.
“Thank you, Fox, that will be very nice,” returned Stork, equally politely.
Little did Stork know that Fox planned to play a mean trick on her.
Fox cooked a delicious soup but served it in a large shallow dish. Stork arrived
and was told to enjoy her meal. She noticed Fox lapping up his meal with
great delight. Unfortunately, she was unable to get even a few drops of the
soup with her long beak. Just as she was about to leave, Fox remarked,
“Stork, you hardly touched your soup. I’m sorry if you didn’t find it tasty.”
“Thank you anyway, for your kindness, Fox. I would like you to
come over to my home for dinner tomorrow,” Stork replied.
The next evening, Fox turned up at Stork’s home. He expected a magnificent meal
and had been looking forward to it all day. Imagine his surprise when he noticed
the meal had been served in a large pitcher with a long narrow neck. Stork had no
trouble putting her long beak into the pitcher and enjoying her meal. Fox could only
lick the drops that ran down the outside of the pitcher which weren’t very much.
As he left Stork’s home after thanking her for her kindness, he said to himself,
“I deserved to be treated badly. Stork had every right to give me back
some of my own bad medicine.” For once in his life, he was being fair.
Moral: Treat others in the same way as you would like them to treat you.
Page 39
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Fox and the Stork
Activity 1
Apostrophes of Contraction: When two words are contracted or shortened to form one word,
an apostrophe ( ’ ) is used to show that a letter has been left out.
For example:
I am=I’m I will=I’ll
you are=you’re
Part 1
Copy the following examples in the columns below
and write down which letter has been left out:
I am - I’m; you are - you’re; they are - they’re; is not - isn’t; do not don’t; did not - didn’t; could - couldn’t; should not - shouldn’t.
Two words
E.g.
I
am
Contraction
Letter left out
I’m
a
Sometimes the apostrophe of contraction takes the place of more than one letter.
Part 2
Complete the chart below.
Two words
can
not
will
not
shall
not
I
you
he
need
Contraction
would
would
had
not
Outcome: Children explore the use of apostrophes in written language.
Page 40
Letter/s left out
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Fox and the Stork
Activity 2
Part 1
a.
Read “The Fox and the Stork” .
Write down any contractions you can make in the first two sentences of the story.
__________________________________________________________________
b. What words do they stand for?_________________________________________
c.
Write down any contractions you come across in the rest of the story:
Contractions
Part 2
a.
Words
Rewrite the following sentences using
contractions for the words in italics.
“Who would like to remain friends with Fox?” asked Stork.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
b. “I definitely would not!” squeaked Mouse
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
c.
“He should not have played such a mean trick on you,” hooted Owl.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
d. “We are all glad you paid him back!” meowed Cat.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
e.
“Treat others in the same way as you would like them to treat you,” came a chorus
of voices.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Outcome: Children show understanding of using apostrophes to indicate contractions.
Page 41
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Boy who Cried Wolf
The daily work of a shepherd boy was to take his father’s small flock to graze on
a hillside not too far away from the town. The boy didn’t enjoy this very much
as he often became bored just sitting around watching the sheep. He wished to
have some fun. He thought if he called out “Wolf! Wolf!” at the top of his voice
and made people from the town come to his aid, he could have a good laugh.
The next morning, when he was up on the hillside, he cried out,
“Wolf, Wolf! Help! Help! A ferocious wolf is attacking the sheep!” The trick
worked. In no time, many people from the town came running up the hillside
to save the sheep. To their surprise, there were no signs of a wolf and the
sheep were grazing peacefully. No sooner had they left to return to the town,
the boy sat on a rock and laughed till the tears rolled down his cheeks.
For the next two mornings, the boy played the same trick on the townspeople.
Each time he called, “Wolf!” they came rushing to help, really believing a
wolf was attacking the sheep and also fearing for the boy’s life. Each time,
the boy enjoyed the confusion and laughed with delight. The third day
when no wolf was seen, the people realized they were being tricked and
decided not to take any further notice of the boy’s cries for help.
A few days later, a huge grey wolf did sneak up the hillside. It began to attack
and kill the sheep. The shepherd boy called and called with all his might.
“Wolf! Wolf! Please help! A wolf is really attacking and
killing the sheep! Please come and help me!”
Thinking the boy was up to his old tricks again, they turned a deaf ear and
refused to go to his aid. Later, they found every sheep of that small flock
had been mauled and killed by a wolf. The shepherd boy had learnt his
lesson and vowed never to tell another lie. It wasn’t such fun after all.
Moral: No one believes a known liar even when he’s telling the truth.
Page 42
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Boy who Cried Wolf
Activity 1
Apostrophe of Possession: When somebody owns something, this also can be shown by an
apostrophe ( ’ ) called the apostrophe of possession or ownership.
For example, John owns a hat. We can say John’s hat and because an S is sounded, we add an S.
Other examples: Susan’s bag shows the bag belongs to Susan.
Mother’s dress shows the dress is owned by Mother. The boy’s book shows the boy owns the book.
Part 1
Now try to write these using an apostrophe:
a. The song of the nightingale ____________________________________________
b. The purr of the cat ___________________________________________________
c. The wheel of the cart _________________________________________________
d. The book of the student _______________________________________________
e. The gun of the hunter ________________________________________________
f. The cry of the baby ___________________________________________________
Part 2
Read the story “The Boy who Cried Wolf” and write
three words you find that show ownership.
a. ____________________
Part 3
b. ____________________
c. ____________________
Change these to show possession or ownership.
Don’t forget to put in the apostrophe and the ‘s’:
a. The daily work of the boy
______________________________________
b. The people of the town
______________________________________
c. The trick of the boy
______________________________________
d. The grey fur of the wolf
______________________________________
e. The anger of the townspeople
______________________________________
f. The laughter of the boy
______________________________________
g. The surprise of the people
______________________________________
h. The lies of the shepherd boy
______________________________________
i. The sharp teeth of the wolf
______________________________________
Outcome: Children explore the use of apostrophes to show possession.
Page 43
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Boy who Cried Wolf
Activity 2
Part 1
Use “The Boy who Cried Wolf” story to help you answer these.
Rewrite the nouns putting in the missing apostrophes:
a. The wolfs sneaky movements were not noticed.
______________________
b. The peoples confusion made the boy laugh.
______________________
c. The shepherd boys lies made the people angry.
______________________
d. The sheeps mauled bodies lay everywhere.
______________________
e. The fathers anger made the boy really cry.
______________________
Part 2
This revised version of the story should contain apostrophes.
Write the words and the missing apostrophes below.
The boys call rang out through the town. The villagers came running to help as
the boys trick worked. But when they arrived all they could hear was the sheeps
bleating and the boys laughter. Angrily they marched back to the town to a
meeting in the mayors office.
.....................................................
.....................................................
....................................................
Part 3
.....................................................
......................................................
Look around the school environment and write down ten
examples of ownership. One has been done for you:
a. the school’s environment
b. _______________________________
c. _______________________________
d. _______________________________
e. _______________________________
f. ________________________________
g. _______________________________
h. _______________________________
i. _______________________________
j. ________________________________
Outcome: Children use apostrophes in written language.
Page 44
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
Once
Upon a
time,
there lived a man a his wife. At first they were very poor
but to their good fortune they found a goose. This was
a special goose because it laid golden eggs.
Each day the man and his wife would collect one golden egg.
They would hold it, feel the smooth golden skin and say,
“Aren’t we lucky to have this glorious egg?. We are now rich!”
There came a day when the man became dissatisfied and said to his wife,
“Wife, we are rich but not rich enough! We have to wait for
a whole day before we get just one golden egg.”
“What do you suggest we do?” his wife asked eagerly.
“Well, I have an idea but I’m not sure if it will work.” he continued thoughtfully. “If
our goose lays golden eggs everyday, then
its insides must be made of gold. If we cut
her open, we should have all the gold at
one time and become very, very rich.”
The wife who was just as greedy,
answered quickly,
“That sounds a splendid idea. We’ll kill
the goose at once and open her up.”
The wife brought a sharp knife and handed
it to the old man. He chopped off the poor
birds head and opened her up. They were
shocked when they say the inside of the
bird was just like any other goose. Gone
was the golden egg they collected each
day! Gone was their dream of great riches.
The man stamped his feet in
anger and wrung his hands.
The wife wept and wept for her
lost riches. The goose lay dead and nothing further could be done.
Moral: Greed can make you lose all the good things you already had.
Page 45
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
Activity 1
Read the “Goose that Laid the Golden Egg” to help you answer the questions.
Part 1
Identifying adjectives.
Find words in the story that describe each of the nouns below.
a. ....................................................................skin
b. ............................................................... goose
c. ................................................................... idea
d. ..................................................................knife
e. ................................................................riches
f. .................................................................... day
g. .............................................................fortune
h. ....................................................................egg
Part 2
Answer the following questions.
a. Why was the goose special? ............................................................................................................
b. What did the man and his wife collect each day? ...................................................................
c. Who was first dissatisfied?................................................................................................................
d. What did the man think the bird’s inside was made of? .......................................................
e. What did the couple lose? ................................................................................................................
Part 3
Find words in the story to fill in the blanks.
a. The man and his wife were very................................................................................................... .
b. They were ............................................................................................... to find a special goose.
c. They loved to ........................................... and ................................................ the glorious egg.
d. After some time the both became .............................................................................................. .
e. Greed can make you lose ............................................................................................................... .
Part 4
Put the parts of the story in correct order by writing a.
beginning, b. middle, c. end.
a. The man and his wife were dissatisfied with just one golden egg each day. To get
all the gold at one time, they decided to kill the goose. .......................................................
b. They chopped off the bird’s head and opened it up, only to find no gold. They
were upset and angry at losing their riches...............................................................................
c. One fine day, a man and his wife found a special goose. Each day it lay a golden
egg for them which made them quite rich. ...............................................................................
Outcome: Children identify grammatical patterns in written text.
Page 46
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
Activity 2
Part 1
Read the “Goose that Laid the Golden Egg” carefully. Use the table
to rewrite the following events in the correct sequence.
•
The man had an idea.
•
The result made the man’s wife weep.
•
The man and his wife carried out the
man’s idea.
•
The man and his wife found a special
goose.
•
The man and his wife became
dissatisfied.
Event 1
Event 2
Event 3
Event 4
Event 5
Part 2
Describe your favourite part of the story.
Illustrate your favourite part of the story.
Outcome: Children identify main events in a story.
Page 47
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Lamb
Lamb had wandered off on his own and before long he was completely lost.
He couldn’t find his mother or the rest of the flock as he had strayed too far.
Just as he was wondering what he should do, Lamb heard a harsh howl very
close to him. His legs began to tremble and shake as he realized it was Wolf.
Even if he tried, he knew it was far too late to get away from big Wolf.
Wolf was very hungry and wished to devour Lamb right away. He looked at the young
innocent animal and thought it would be a good idea to find an excuse to eat him,
then he couldn’t be accused of being unfair. He decided to charge Lamb of doing
many wrong things to upset him and that would give him the excuse he needed.
He looked Lamb up and down and stated gruffly, “I remember very clearly that last
year, a young lamb called me all sorts of bad names. You must have been the one.”
Lamb’s little heart beat rapidly as he replied softly, shaking his head,
“I couldn’t have been me, Wolf Sir, as I wasn’t born last year.”
Wolf thought for a while and then continued, “Well, you’ve done me a great
wrong by coming into my territory to eat my lovely green grass!”
“That can’t be possible, kind Sir,” bleated Lamb. “I’m still too young
to eat grass and don’t even know what it tastes like.”
Wolf was fast losing his temper hearing Lamb’s truthful answers.
He thought he would try once more to confuse Lamb.
“I’m sure you have wronged me in some way or other. Now that I think of it, you
polluted my drinking water when you drank from my stream,” he growled.
“Sir Wolf, I couldn’t have dirtied your stream as I don’t drink water. I only live on
my mother’s milk,” returned Lamb, trying to sound a little braver than before.
Wolf stared at Lamb, his tummy rumbling and his patience gone.
“This is getting me nowhere and I can’t wait any longer for my meal,”
he said to himself. No sooner had the thought entered his head,
he sprang on Lamb and made an excellent meal of him.
Moral: A cruel nature needs no excuses.
Page 48
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Lamb
Activity 1
Part 1
Match the Wolf’s excuses with Lamb’s answers. Use the story to help.
a. You called me names last year.
I’m too young to eat grass.
b. You’re doing wrong by eating
my lovely green grass.
I don’t drink water but live on
my mother’s milk.
c. You polluted my drinking water
when you drank from my stream.
I wasn’t born last year.
Part 2
Part 3
Did Lamb’s excuses make any difference? Explain.
Oral and Written Editing. In the sentence below, put in capitals
and question marks where you see circles. Add full stops and
quotation marks where you see boxes.
a. Lamb was completely lost
he heard Wolf’s howl close to him
b.
why did you call me names last year
c.
why did you eat my lovely green grass
d.
why did you dirty my drinking water
e.
Part 4
wolf lost his patience
he asked
he asked next
was his third question
he sprang on lamb and made a meal of him
Explain the moral of the story in your own words.
Outcome: Children demonstrate an understanding of punctuation.
Page 49
• AESOP’S FABLES •
The Wolf and the Lamb
Activity 2
Summary writing. Read the story and fill in the table set out below.
Part 1
Summary
Who does the
story belong to?
What message
does it have?
Main characters
Other characters
referred to
Quotation marks are used in written text to show the spoken words or speech.
This is why quotation marks are sometimes called speech marks.
Part 2
Put quotation marks in the sentences below to
show which words are spoken.
a. I smell a delicious meal in the bushes close by, said Wolf to himself.
b. I smell danger very close to me, whimpered Lamb.
c. You can’t run away from me now, howled Wolf harshly.
d. Mother, mother, please help me! bleated Lamb, very frightened.
e. Your mother is too far away to help you, laughed Wolf. You belong to me now.
Outcome: Children explore the features of written language.
Page 50
Answers
The Wolf and the Ass
The Hen and the Fox
Activity 1 Page 7
Activity 1 Page 12
Part 1:
Answers will vary
Part 1: Answers will vary
Part 2:
Ass pretended to be lame.
He began to hobble about and limp.
He dragged one hind leg as if in great pain.
Activity 2 Page 8
Part 1:
Ass was feeding peacefully.
Wolf moved about very slyly.
This sharp thorn is stuck in my foot.
His clever plan saved him from death.
Silly Wolf flipped over backwards.
Part 2:
a. Ass was feeding in a meadow.
b. Wolf was waiting for a chance to make a
meal of Ass.
c. Ass asked Wolf to get out a large thorn
sticking in his foot.
d. Ass’ kick landed right in the middle of
Wolf’s forehead.
e. Wolf was ashamed to be tricked by an ass.
Activity 3 Page 8
Part 1:
• Ass lifted his hind foot.
• Wolf bent down to pull out the supposed
thorn.
• He gave him one very hard kick right in
the middle of his forehead.
Part 2:
• Wolf wished to make a meal of him.
• It will be better to get the thorn out.
• Wolf was dazed form the awful pain.
Part 3:
a. Answers will vary
b. Yes/Affirmative
Activity 4 Page 9
Teacher to check
Part 2:
• Whatever are you doing so high up?
• Haven’t you heard of the new law that
has been passed?
• Whatever are you staring at, Hen?
Part 3:
a. Hen was seated on the highest branch of
a tree.
b. Fox was looking for a juicy meal.
c. Yes, Fox made up the new law.
d. Hen pretended to see a pack of wild
dogs heading their way.
e. Fox slunk away because he was afraid of
the pack of wild dogs.
Activity 2 Page 13
Part 1:
a. Had Fox been looking for a meal?
b. Is there no danger around here?
c. Haven’t you heard of the new law?
d. Did Hen know all foxes are cunning?
e. Had Hen planning to come down to hear
the new law?
Part 2:
a. It was fine day.
b. Fox needed a meal right away because
he was hungry.
c. According to Fox, the new law stated
that no animals could hurt birds or other
animals and no birds could hurt animals.
d. Hen pretended to see a pack of wild
dogs heading their way.
e. Fox said he thought the wild dogs may
not have heard of the new law.
The Bullfrog and the Ox
Activity 1 Page 15
Part 1:
a. Where
b. When
c. When
d. Where
Page 51
Part 2:
a. Where
b. Where
c. Where
d. When
e. Where
Part 3:
a. In the early morning / beside the huge
pond
b. After midday / under a shady tree
c. Before long / by his side
d. During the walk / near the frog pond
e. By late evening / to the green meadow
Activity 2 Page 16
Part 1
a. In and out of the water leaped the frogs.
b. Down the dusty road strutted the proud
Ox.
c. In the bright sunlight Bullfrog thought
he looked grand.
d. Throughout the night laughed the
heartless Ox.
Part 2 & 3
Teacher to check
Activity 3 Page 17
Teacher to check
The Wind and the Sun
Activity 1 Page 19
Parts 1, 2 & 3: Teacher to check as answers
will vary.
Activity 2 Page 20
Part 1: Answers will vary
Part 2
Morning patterns challenge weary silly way
direction strength quarrel stronger blasted
defeat
Part 3
Teacher to check
The Fox and the Crow
Activity 1 Page 22
Part 1
Common Nouns: tree, beak, tail, voice,
cheese, feathers
Page 52
Proper Nouns: Crow, Fox, Queen
Part 2
Answers will vary
Part 3
Saturday Edam Sandy Queen’s Park Reynard
red gum Jones Ford Pam Peter
Activity 2 Page 23
Teacher to check
The Dog and the Ass
Activity 1 Page 25
Part 1
Answers will vary
Part 2
Teacher to check if pronouns have been
used appropriately.
Activity 2 Page 26
Part 1
Teacher to check if pronouns have been
used appropriately.
Activity 3 Page 27
News Plan – Teacher to check
The Wolf and the Crane
Activity 1 Page 28
Part 1: Answers will vary
Part 2
Dogs bark; cats meow/purr; donkeys bray;
monkeys chatter; elephants trumpet; lions
roar; horses neigh; cows low/moo; pigs
grunt.
Part 3
Birds fly; ducks waddle; peacocks strut;
worms wriggle; insects crawl; snakes glide;
kangaroos hop; monkeys climb; cats creep
Activity 2 Page 30
Part 1
a. Rushed
b. Howled
c. Called
d. Promised/ pulled
e. Felt/ go
Part 1
a. Reached
b.
c.
d.
e.
Activity 3 Page 35
flew
opened
poked
removed
Part 1 & 2: Answers will vary
The Two Boys and the Frogs
Part 3
threw laughed disappointed flew saying
remember help
Activity 3 Page 31
Story map – Teacher to check
Activity 1 Page 37
Teacher to check – answers will vary
Activity 2 Page 38
Part 1: Teacher to check
Part 2: Answers will vary
Part 2
• “Yes, let’s go!” shouted Bill excitedly.
• He croaked loudly, “Stop that, you cruel
boys! Stop that, this minute!”
• “What you think is fun is not fun to us
but death!” the bullfrog added.
Part 3
Part 3: Teacher to check
Belling the Cat
Activity 1 Page 33
Part 1: Answers will vary
Adjective
Noun
Verb
Adverb
Excellent
idea
huddled
together
Strong
paw
venture
out
Worst
enemy
listened
quietly
Young/old
mouse
spoke
up
Wonderful
plan
meet
late
Activity 2 Page 34
Part 1
a. big strong
b. frightened old
c. single next
d. fat thin
e. bright young
Part 2
a. around
b. suddenly
c. constantly
d. usually
e. together
Part 3
sneakily narrow patiently young out strong
tiny instantly hungrily clever
Part 4
a. adjective
b. adverb
c. adverb
d. adjective
e. adverb
f. adjective
The Fox and the Stork
Activity 1 Page 40
Part 1
Two words
Contraction
I am
You are
They are
Is not
Do not
Did not
Could not
Should not
I’m
you’re
they’r
isn’t
don’t
didn’t
couldn’t
shouldn’t
Letter left
out
a
a
a
o
o
o
o
o
Part 2
Two words
Contraction
cannot
will not
shall not
you would
he had
need not
can’t
won’t
shan’t
you’d
he’d
needn’t
Letters
left out
no
ill
llo
woul
ha
o
Activity 2 Page 41
Part 1
a. I’d & that’ll
b. I would & that will
c. I’m I am
Didn’t did not
Page 53
I’d I would
Weren’t were not
Part 2
Who’d who would; wouldn’t would not
Shouldn’t should not; we’re we are
You’d you would
The Boy who Cried Wolf
Activity 1 Page 43
Part 1
a. The nightingale’s song
b. The cat’s purr
c. The cart’s wheel
d. The student’s book
e. The hunter’s gun
f. The baby’s cry
Part 2
Father’s small flock
The boy’s life
The boy’s cries
Part 3
a. The boy’s daily work
b. The town’s people
c. The boy’s trick
d. The wolf’s grey fur
e. The townspeople’s anger
f. The boy’s laughter
g. The people’s surprise
h. The shepherd boy’s lies
i. The wolf’s sharp teeth
Activity 2 Page 44
Part1
a. The wolf’s sneaky movements were not
noticed.
b. The people’s confusion made the boy
laugh.
c. The shepherd boy’s lies made the people
angry.
d. The sheep’s mauled bodies lay everywhere.
e. The father’s anger made the boy really cry.
Part 2
Boy’s call, boy’s trick, sheep’s bleeting, boy’s
laughter, mayor’s office
Part 3
Answers will vary.
Page 54
The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg
Activity 1 Page 46
Part 1
a. Smooth/golden skin
b. Special goose
c. Splendid idea
d. Sharp knife
e. Great riches
f. Each day
g. Good fortune
h. Golden egg
Part 2
a. The goose was special because it laid
golden eggs.
b. The man and his wife collected one golden
egg each day.
c. The man was the first to become
dissatisfied.
d. The couple lost their dream of great riches.
Part 3
a. Poor
b. Fortunate/lucky
c. Hold and feel
d. Dissatisfied
e. All the good things you already had
Part 4
a. End
b. Middle
c. Beginning
Activity 2 Page 47
Part 1
1. The man…goose.
2. The …dissatisfied.
3. The man…idea.
4. Together …. Idea.
5. The result…weep.
Part 2
Teacher to check.
The Wolf and the Lamb
Activity 1 Page 49
Part 1
a. I wasn’t born last year.
b. I’m too young to eat grass.
c. I don’t drink water but live on my mother’s
milk.
Part 3
a. Lamb was completely lost. He heard Wolf’s
howl close to him.
b. “Why did you call me names last year?” he
asked.
c. “Why did you eat my lovely green grass?”
he asked next.
d. “Why did you dirty my drinking water?”
was his third question.
e. Wolf lost his patience. He sprang on the
lamb and made a meal of him.
Activity 2 Page 50
Part 1
Summary Writing - teacher to check
Part 2
a. “I smell a delicious meal in the bushes
close by,” said Wolf to himself.
b. “I smell danger very close to me,”
whimpered Lamb.
c. “You can’t run away from me now,” howled
Wolf harshly.
d. “Mother, mother, please help me!” bleated
Lamb, very frightened.
e. “Your mother is too far away to help you,”
laughed Wolf. “You belong to me now.”
Page 55
Page 56