Fable Writing
A fable is a short narrative that exemplifies a moral or principle of human behavior; that is usually stated in the conclusion of the story. The characters, setting and actions become a symbol of human nature.
Directions:
Go online and research Aesop’s fables at https://aesopfables.com/
Read some of the fables you find and gather some ideas for your own writing.
After researching, you will write your own fable.
Criteria:
Entire fable less than 250 words
Title
Plots actions must lead to the moral
Moral must be given in last line of the story
Keep it simple and specific
Be original (not based on example fables)
Uses appropriate language
Use correct grammar, punctuation, etc.
The Baker and Her Grandson
ReplyDeleteThe old baker always loved it when her grandson came to visit. She would always tell him stories and wise tales. However, her Grandson always hated to sit still and listen. He wanted to run and play with her. He would always tell her she is too slow, and would become impatient with her. One day when the grandson was with his friends he injured his foot. He wanted to keep playing with his friends but couldn’t keep up. They would tease him and tell him that he is too slow. This hurt him and the next time he went to visit the baker he told her about what happened. She sat patiently and listened to everything he had to say. When he was finished She said that she understood, and she told him about similar experiences that she had. She never mentioned anything about her grandson, but he knew that she was talking about him. He sat patiently and listened to all she had to say. And when she was done, he apologized. After that day the grandson was always patient and always helped the baker when his help was needed.
Respect your elders.
I really enjoyed your fable; however, I do not think that your characters should have been humans, because the characters are supposed to be more symbolic of human nature. Other than that, I really liked the moral of the story,
DeleteMarcie, I really love your fable! I think it is really down-to-earth and relates well to human nature. I agree that respecting elders is important, and that they have a lot to teach us.
DeleteI love your fable! Grandparents are always there for us, and always know what to say. I think you really showed this in your fable.
DeleteThe Ant and the Butterfly
ReplyDeleteThere was once an ant and a butterfly who had a long withstanding feud. They both wanted each other’s territory. One day, they decided to go to war. The ants got to work, planned, and got all of the ants from the north, east, south, and west together to fight. The butterfly and her butterfly clan saw the ants planning and talked about how boring they were. The butterflies felt like they were going to win, so they did not create a strategy or think anything through. They just continued to fly around and eat milkweed. The ants then put their plan into action and invaded quickly and tactfully. The butterflies were taken completely by surprise, and they were too full of milkweed to fight back. The ants rapidly took over their territory. The one who plans is always more successful than the one who doesn’t prepare at all.
Wonderful fable Laina! Loved the way you touched on one of the seven deadly sins, gluttony. Gluttony has been a common mistake among warfare in history.
DeleteI really like the fable! It shows the consequences of not planning ahead. It was also very clear what was going on which made it easy to understand. Great job Melania!
DeleteYour fable is very good, Melaina! I enjoyed the way you set the story up. Everything fell into place very well. I agree with you talking about the importance of preparation.
DeleteI think this fable is great! It was simple and straight to the point. I also liked how you gave the ants and the butterflies characteristics that they would actually show in nature. Nicely written.
DeleteThe Horseshoe
ReplyDeleteOne midsummer’s eve, Horatio ventured outside with his border collie, Oreo. They would spend hours venturing Horatio’s father’s vast estate. During their expeditions, they discovered an abandoned clubhouse complete with a fire ring, fishing pond, and a horseshoe pitch. Over a period of several months, they would go there and explore every nook and cranny of the clubhouse. One day, at his school, he watched some of the older kids play horseshoes during recess. He also watched many people play fetch with their dogs, so he tried to play horseshoes with Oreo. Oreo didn't understand the game, and would try to catch the horseshoes in mid-air. Oreo got hit in the middle of his torso with a horseshoe. He started to breathe heavily, and his breathing sounded forced. Horatio carried Oreo back to the manor and explained to the housekeeper, Mrs. Crabtree. She explained that horseshoes are not good objects to play with, especially with a dog. They can be very dangerous. Therefore, it is not good to throw horseshoes at a living being, even if you're just trying to play a game. It’s best to play it safe, understand your capabilities, and be aware of everything.
I really enjoyed your fable! I thought you did a nice job of delivering what the moral of the story was!
DeleteI think you did an excellent job with this fable! It was very easy to understand and it made the moral make sense. This was a really great example!
DeleteThe Bear and the Deer
ReplyDeleteOne day, an impatient bear was heading to a river for food. However, when he got to the river, there was deer there fishing, but that wouldn’t bother him. The bear walked down and started to rapidly grab at the water. After a while of swiping the water, the impatient bear looked over and noticed that the deer was just standing there and staring at the water. He thought this odd, so he asked, “Why do you stand and wait? You will never catch anything!” The deer ignored him and continued to stand and stare at the water. Seeing as he wasn’t getting an answer, the bear then asked, “How long have you been staring at the water?” To this, the deer responded, “All day, and I have seen nothing.” This made the bear confused, as he thought the best way to catch fish was to swipe at the water and hope to snag a fish. Time passed and neither of them seemed to catch anything. Finally, a fish jumped up and the deer grabbed it. The next day, the deer came back and saw that the bear was still swiping at the water. The deer came up and asked, “Nothing yet, huh?” The bear said, “No.” As the deer left, he said “Wanna know something? I learned that you’ll never catch a fish by just trying to grab one, you need to wait.” The moral of the story is that good things come to those who wait.
Jackie, I really like your fable! I think it really puts across the moral of the story well. I like the moral you picked too. I think it relates well to human nature.
DeleteThis is a great fable! I think you did a great job with showing the moral of the story through the plot. It definitely showed how patience is key.
DeleteI really like the moral of the story for your fable. I know that I am not always patience and I need to work on this. I liked how you portrayed the bear as very impatient.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Thief and the Cautious Man
ReplyDeleteThere was a thief who needed money, he hadn’t paid off a debt that was due soon. He decided he would wait until he saw someone who looked wealthy enough to have plenty of money or expensive items. He sat in a dark alley on the side of a busy sidewalk and watched and waited. Another man caught the thief’s eye as he briskly walked past. He was dressed in a fitted suit with a nice jacket. His watch appeared to be expensive, and his hair was slickly combed back. His shoes were newly shined. The man looked like the wealthiest person the thief had seen all day. He quickly stood and followed the man at a distance, just keeping him in sight. The man walked for a long time, as he walked, the thief noticed the skyscrapers became fewer, the street became dirty, and it got darker. Still, the man walked past. He came to an apartment building, bricks were falling off, the lights were barely staying on, and he went inside. The thief stopped, he realized the man lived here. A few minutes later, the man came flying out of the building, wearing a dirty wifebeater and loose pants with torn shoes. His combed hair was messy and he had a wild look in his eye as he took off running. The thief realized he would gain nothing from this man, only a lesson. Not everything is as it seems.
I enjoyed reading this and I think that you made the moral extremely easy to pick out from the start. Overall, great fable!
DeleteLovely fable Audrey. I am impressed by your use of also including a secret second moral value of learning from your mistakes. This is extremely relatable to life experiences.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this fable. I thought the twist you put at the end was also very creative. The fable was also filled with detail, yet easy to understand. Nicely written!
DeleteThe Pigeon and the Cardinal
ReplyDeleteOn a warm summer evening, a pigeon was making her rounds around the town square as she noticed a gathering of people around a large pine tree. The people were admiring a bright red cardinal that had just landed on a branch of the pine. As the cardinal perched, showing off his vibrant and flamboyant red colored feathers for the public. The pigeon noticed the flashing of cameras and “oohs” and “awes” from the audience. This made the pigeon feel an overwhelming amount of insecurity. She wished to be beautiful like the cardinal. Just as the pigeon’s confidence began to disappear, a young lady with a sketchbook began to gaze upon the pigeon and started making marks within her book. The lady sat on a nearby bench intently peeked up from her sketchbook every once in a while to gaze upon the scenery with the pigeon. When she was finished drawing the pigeon could see a masterpiece on paper with her as the focal point. This brought a warm feeling to the pigeon’s heart. Beauty is found within the eye of the beholder.
I love the pigeon analogy! The parrot was a great thing to use because of its beauty. Fantastic job Hope!
DeleteThis is so great, Hope! I love that you used a pigeon since they are often looked on as annoying. It gave a very different feel to the story.
DeleteI loved your fable Hope! I think you came up with a really great story. I thought the idea of a common pigeon being drawn was a really great way to show the point of the moral!
DeleteAwesome fable, Hope! I love the way the cardinal was having it’s picture taken, but the pigeon was being drawn and studied. It reinforces the message by proving that one person really admiring you can feel just as good, if not better, than tons of people admiring you for a little bit of time.
DeleteI really enjoyed your story. It shows that even if you aren't the most popular person, there is a sense of comfort in knowing that someone cares about you as much as others care about the popular person.
DeleteI remember the day I was adopted.
ReplyDeleteMy new family brought me home after choosing me, probably for all of my great personal qualities. I am literally built to have fun, and I’m really good looking. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long for someone to pick me out.
They chose me for a very special occasion, and I couldn’t WAIT until the big day arrived. It was a birthday party, and I was the guest of honor. I spent my days with the other guests leading up to the party, and I know that everyone else wanted to be in my place. Honestly, it couldn’t happen without me.
The day finally arrived. I was taken out of the cupboard with the pretty colored plastic plates, cups, and forks. I was put on my seat of honor, the head of the birthday girl. No hat had a better time than me in all of history, no hat was more essential to an event than I was at this party. My hair looked great, my blue and green stripes were absolutely glowing. My mom used to say that people spent thousands of dollars at the salon to look like I do naturally. Honestly, I believe her. I’m incredibly attractive.
Things went wrong very quickly. The little clear string holding me to the birthday girl's head broke on one side. A minor injury like that could be fixed with a little tape, I was sure of it, so I didn’t panic right away. Believe it or not, they just set me on the counter and grabbed another hat. They would come back for me, I was sure of it. But the night wore on, and eventually I was picked up by the man walking around with a big black bag. My savior! But no, I was put inside the bag. There was garbage in there!
I guess being pretty and fun at parties isn’t enough.
I really enjoyed your fable! I liked the moral behind it and I thought it was very well written! Good work!
DeleteOh. My. Goodness. This is the best fable I have ever seen!
DeleteThe Squirrel and the Skunk
ReplyDeleteThe squirrel and the skunk had never gotten along. The squirrel had always made fun of the skunk for his noxious smell. The skunk had always just ignored the squirrel. One day, the squirrel and his friends were on a hunt for acorns to eat and gather for the winter. The squirrel did not notice he got separated from his friends for he was too busy trying to collect the most acorns. Suddenly he realized that the sun was starting to set and his friends were nowhere in sight. The squirrel was in the middle of the woods all alone when he heard a branch crack from behind him. He turned around to see a giant English Mastiff looking over him. The squirrel sprinted as fast as he could with the dog following closely behind. The squirrel runs into the skunk while he is running and begs him to spray the dog. The skunk looks at the terrified squirrel and says, “Squirrel, I would love to help you but I wouldn't want you to be surrounded by that horrible smell of mine.” The skunk walks away and the squirrel can hear the dog getting closer. The squirrel continues to run as he wishes he never said all those cruel things to the skunk. If he had just been kind to the skunk he would be safe instead of running for his life. Treat others as you want to be treated.
Abby, your fable was both entertaining to read and outlined its purpose clearly. I especially liked how the skunk portrayed the message at the end by giving the squirrel what he, himself, wanted, to be respected for his opinions and appearance. Awesome work!
DeleteAbby, I really liked your fable. I feel like this happens a lot in the real world, with humans of course. It is almost like karma in a way. All in all, this is very well written. Good job!
DeleteThree Beggars and a King:
ReplyDeleteThree beggars approached a king’s castle and demanded food. The king was annoyed and did not want to give them food. He told the beggars they would get food if they stood still for two hours. The king said that during the two hours, he would look for food. Two hours later, the king glanced out of his window and saw two of the beggars were still waiting. The king did not want to give them food, but he also did not want to look selfish in front of his people because he feared a possible rebellion. He lied to the beggars and told them that the food rotted. The king said that if they wanted food, they would have to wait two more hours while he looked for more. Two more hours passed, and the king saw only one beggar remained. The king lied again, saying he could not find any more food, and that the beggar would need to wait two more hours while he searched again. The beggar had waited almost six hours for food, when some citizens began to question why the king was making him stand for so long. The beggar told the citizens what the king said, and they started to question the king’s moral character. The citizens quickly became enraged. To calm the people, the king gave the last beggar an entire bear to eat. The final beggar’s patience showed that those who wait will have good things come to them.
The Frog and the Rabbit
ReplyDeleteIn a secluded corner of the forest, lived a family of frogs. They tried their best to stay away from the forest’s many distractions. The older frogs said it was because the other animals were too big and scary to live in harmony with. All of the younger frogs believe this and hoped to never see another animal in their lifetime, especially the youngest frog, Hopper.
One day, the little frog family decided to go for a hop to the river. Poor Hopper’s legs were too short to keep up with his family. He fell behind and soon was lost. In a panic, Hopper tried to find higher ground to see them; he did not yet know the way to the water as he was not allowed to travel alone.
Settling on a toadstool to hop up onto, he heard a noise. A big thumping noise that rattled him to the core. Young Hopper was shaking in fear. Another animal was coming, and he was all alone. Would his family miss him? The terrible, horrible noise came closer and closer. He squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation, he prepared to die, as the big, awful animal...hopped right by? He looked up to see an animal with long, floppy ears jumping along, just like he would, uninterested in hurting him.
That’s when Hopper knew he would have to tell his family, “Just because we don’t look the same doesn’t mean we can’t all get along.”
I loved your fable! It was very well written and i enjoyed the moral behind it you did an great job expressing it!
DeleteThe Brain-Dead Lion
ReplyDeleteAfter a long day of hunting while the lion was going back to his shady tree with his dinner he saw another lion with what he thought was a bigger dinner for him and his wife. He snuck up to the other lion and his wife, he then killed both of them and took the dinner for himself. Later that night he thought to himself if I don’t hunt for my dinner and just kill other lions with their dinner then I will have triple the dinner I did before. So for the next four years he went around the Sahara Desert and killed all the lions until none were left. He then went hungry because all he knew how to do for the past four years was kill lions. He died lonely with no wife or kids. Greed does not fill anything, you will just be as lonely as you were before.
Alex, I like the idea of the fable, but I think it could have been written better. There is some errors in your fable that could be easily fixed. Besides that, this fable is very interesting and I really like it.
DeleteThe Tortoise and the Hare
ReplyDeleteAll around the town there is excitement about the huge race that will happen soon. In the race, a tortoise and a hare will be competing to win a big prize. The hare is so fast that there really isn’t a lot of animals that can keep up with it. On the other hand, the tortoise is the slowest animal in the town. Every animal placed their bets on the hare to win the race, while no one placed anything on the tortoise. The race begins and the hare jumps to a huge start, while the tortoise has barely moved. During the race, the hare takes several long breaks that consumes a lot of time because of relaxation. Meanwhile, out of nowhere, the tortoise is in front of the hare and is about to win the race. The hare is astonished because the tortoise is actually about to win the race. The hare tries to make a comeback, but it’s too late. In the end, the tortoise wins the race and everyone is amazed. Slow and steady wins the race.
Mason this a great short story! I liked the way you wrote it to make it seem like the hare was obviously going to win.
DeleteThe Wealthy Mouse
ReplyDeleteThere once were two mice that lived in the city of Cheeze. The wealthy mouse, named Charles, passed by the poor mouse, named Fred, every single day. Fred asked for some money from Charles every time he saw him. Charles would always say to Fred, “I don’t want to waste my money on a poor mouse.” A couple days later, Charles lost every penny that he had. He got fired from his job. He lost his house and had to live on the streets. That same day, Fred found a dollar on the street and he decided to buy a lottery ticket. He ended up winning a million dollars. On his way back from picking up the money he won, Fred saw Charles sitting on the side of the road. Charles, now the poor mouse, asked Fred, now the wealthy mouse, for money for food. Fred replied to Charles saying, “I would be happy to give you some money to help you out.” Charles apologized to Fred for the way that he treated him. Charles found out that you should treat others that way that you want to be treated, and that you should help people out ow matter what they have or don’t have.
The Cat and His Identity
ReplyDeleteThere was a small cat who lived on a farm with many other animals, all of whom were bigger and stronger than the cat. The cat felt as if he was unimportant and unable to perform essential tasks like the rest of the farm animals. He struggled with this internal battle to find his true identity for months. He then decided to take action by dressing up and acting like a cow. After some time, the farm animals gained respect for the cat due to his new role on the farm. However, there seemed to be a decrease in the food source on the farm. Rats started to overpopulate around the farm causing the food to be contaminated with disease and infection. The cat then realized that this was all his fault. His job was to make sure that the rats didn’t interfere with anything on the farm. The cat was now finally able to understand his role. He might not have been the strongest or biggest animal, but without his small contribution, there wouldn’t be any big or strong animals in the first place. Don’t envy others for what they have achieved, but rather find meaning in what you do, and learn to appreciate whatever role you may have.
The Crab and the Turtle
ReplyDeleteThere once was a turtle who lived off the shore of the sea. The sea was buzzing with life and excitement under the waves that constantly rolled over the shore creating a soft and peace lull in the air. The weather rarely changed, the sun only leaving the sky as night came to a start, yes turkey it was a beautiful place. However the turtle saw none of it. He never witnessed the night sun or the beautiful ocean, for he was too afraid to leave the comfort of his shell. The light was to bright, the creatures in the sea too weird, and the possibility of anything going wrong too scary. So the turtle resigned himself to bundling up in his shell. One day a local crab cake to see him. He asked “Turtle why must you alsways stay hidden in your shell. The world is so beautiful. Come out” The turtle answered “but what if something goes wrong and we get hurt” The crab replied “That’s the beauty of life you never know what’s going to happen and that can be scary but you can’t stay hidden in your shell forever you must experience the world to its fullest both the good and the bad. It’s what makes life worth living.” Suddenly the turtle had a change of heart and cake out of his shell for the first time. He could finally enjoy his home to the fullest.