Fables
Adaptations for English reading and listening practice
Aesop’s Fables are often thought of as children’s stories, but the lessons are useful even for adults in the modern world. These units can be used for listening and reading practice and as discussion starters. Students can be asked to think about situations where the lessons can apply. In some cases the moral has been omitted so students can determine for themselves what the fable teaches.
1. The Donkey and the Wolf
A donkey was walking along when he saw a wolf coming toward him. The donkey could not run fast enough to escape from the wolf and instead started to limp away slowly.
The wolf came closer and asked the donkey why he was limping and the donkey answered that he had a big thorn in his foot. The donkey then asked the wolf to remove the thorn before he ate him so that his last moment alive would be more comfortable and so that the wolf would not get the sharp thorn stuck in his throat when he ate him.
The wolf agreed and lifted up the donkey’s foot to look for the thorn. As he was carefully examining the donkey’s foot, the donkey suddenly gave a big kick that broke three of the wolf’s teeth. While the wolf cried out in pain, the donkey ran away and easily escaped from his enemy.
2. The Fox and the Grapes
One day a fox was walking past a farm and saw some grapes hanging from a high branch. He was very thirsty and the grapes looked delicious, so he decided to have some.
But when he tried to take some grapes, he found that he couldn’t reach them. They were too high. So he stepped back and jumped, but he still couldn’t reach them. He tried over and over again to jump and catch the grapes, but he didn’t succeed. Finally, he walked away, saying to himself, “I’m sure those grapes are sour anyhow.”
3. The Deer and the Bush
A deer was playing in the forest and he saw some hunters not too far away. The deer knew that he had to hide to avoid being killed by the hunters. There was a large bush nearby and the deer walked over to it very quietly and lay down. The hunters did not see the deer and passed by.
After a while, the deer felt it was safe. He got up and started eating the leaves of the bush that had saved him. The hunters, who had not gone so far away, heard the sound of the deer eating the leaves. A second later, an arrow from the bow of one of the hunters hit the deer and killed him.
4. The Rabbits and the Frogs
The rabbits were always being bothered and bullied by the other animals, and they did not know where to go to be safe. As soon as they saw an animal approach them, they ran away.
One day they saw a group of wild horses running about and were very scared. They ran to a nearby lake and decided to drown themselves in the water rather than to always live in fear.
But just as they got near the lake, some frogs that were sitting beside the grass near the lake saw them. The frogs were afraid of the rabbits and quickly jumped into the water. Then, one of the rabbits said, “Things are not as bad as they seem. The frogs have even more to be afraid of than rabbits do.
5. The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
One time there was a wolf that was very hungry but couldn’t find any food. He saw a flock of sheep but wasn’t able to get close because the shepherd and his dogs were protecting the sheep very carefully.
But he happened to find the skin of a sheep and he got an idea. He put the skin over his body so that he looked like a sheep instead of a wolf. Then he walked over to the sheep and joined the flock.
Some of the small lambs began to follow the wolf in the sheep’s clothing. Little by little, he led the lambs away from the flock and soon he made a nice meal of them. The wolf used his new trick whenever he was hungry and was very happy with the plan he thought of.
6. The Ant and the Grasshopper
One summer day a grasshopper was hopping about, singing happily. An ant passed by, working very hard carrying a kernel ear of corn to his nest.
“Come and play with me,” said the grasshopper to the ant,” instead of working so hard.”
“I’m gathering food for the winter,” said the ant, “and I recommend that you do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the grasshopper. We have plenty of food for now.”
But the ant went on its way and continued its work. When the winter came, the grasshopper had no food and was dying of hunger. Meanwhile, the ant was resting comfortably in his nest and had plenty of food for himself and his family. Then the grasshopper understood that he should have been working in the summer to prepare for winter.
7. The Lion’s Share
A lion once went hunting together with a fox, a jackal, and a wolf. They hunted and hunted until at last they surprised a deer and killed it. Then they had to decide how to divide it.
“Cut the deer into four quarters,” roared the lion, and the other animals did as they were told. Then the lion stood in front of the deer and said, “The first quarter is for me because I am the King of Animals; the second is mine because I am the fastest; the third part belongs to me because I am the strongest; and as for the fourth quarter, it is mine because I am very hungry.”
All of the other animals were afraid to challenge the lion, so they went away disappointed.
8. The Wolf and the Lamb
Once upon a time a wolf was sitting near a stream. He looked up and saw a lamb just beginning to drink from the stream. “There’s my supper,” he thought. “If only I can find some excuse to attack it.” Then he called out to the lamb, “You are drinking up all the water and there won’t be any left for me.”
“No, master, no,” said the lamb. “I am taking just a little bit and there will be plenty left for you.”
“Well, then,” said the Wolf, “why did you call me bad names last year?”
“That is impossible,” said the lamb; “I am only six months old.”
“I don’t care,” shouted the Wolf. “If it wasn’t you, it was your father.” And he jumped on the poor little lamb and ate her all up.
9. The Fox and the Cat
One day, a fox was talking to a cat and boasting about how many different ways it had for escaping its enemies. “I have a whole bag of tricks,” he said, “which contains a hundred ways of escaping from my enemies.”“I have only one trick,” said the cat, “but it usually works well enough and I can depend on it.”
Just at that moment, they heard the cry of a pack of dogs coming towards them and the cat immediately ran up a tree and hid herself.
“This is my plan,” said the cat. “What are you going to do?”
The fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was thinking, the dogs came nearer and nearer. At last, the fox was caught up by the dogs and killed by the hunters.
The moral of the story: Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot depend.
10. The Wind and the Sun
One day the wind and the sun got into an argument about who was stronger. They both talked about how strong and powerful they were. Finally, they decided to have a contest to see who was really stronger.
They saw a man wearing a heavy coat walking down the road. They decided that whoever could remove the man’s coat would be the winner. First it was the wind’s turn. It blew so hard that the man’s coat flew open and the buttons fell off. But the more the wind blew, the tighter the man wrapped the coat around him as he walked.
Then it was the sun’s turn. The sun started to smile on the man and shine very brightly. The man loosened his coat. The sun shone hotter and hotter and soon the man took his coat off and threw it over his shoulder. The wind had to admit that the sun was the winner.