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Story Trail Grades 2-3 / Week 11 / Monday
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Week 11 · Fable Fireside

Monday

The Lion and the Mouse
// Fables, morals and the details that show them
⏱ about 15 min

Monday: The Lion and the Mouse

Chris the Coyote sits on the Story Stump. The feather in his hat waves.

"This week I tell fables," says Chris. "They are very old stories."

"Each fable has a lesson," says Ferris. "We call it the moral."

Chris winks. "Listen closely. The details show the lesson."

Learn it: what is a fable?

A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson.

Fables often have animals that talk.

The lesson is called the moral.

These fables are called Aesop's fables.

People have told them for a very long time.

Ferris asks: What lesson did the lion learn? He looks at what happened.

Read it
The Lion and the Mouse (a fable by Aesop)
A lion was sleeping in the sun.
A little mouse ran right across his face.
The lion woke up and caught the mouse in his paw.
"Please let me go," said the mouse.
"Someday I will help you back."
The lion laughed. How could a tiny mouse help him?
But he let the mouse go.
Later, some hunters tied the lion down with strong ropes.
He roared and roared.
The mouse heard the roar and came running.
He chewed the ropes until the lion was free.
"You laughed at me," said the mouse.
"Now you know a little mouse can help a lion."
CHECK IT: THE LION AND THE MOUSE
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What woke the lion up?
Why did the lion laugh?
How did the mouse help the lion?
How did the mouse find the lion?
PUT THE FABLE IN ORDER
  • What happened first?
  • Tap the cards in order.
1First
2Next
3Then
4Last
FIND THE MORAL
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What is the moral of this fable?
Which detail shows the moral best?
What did the lion learn?
SentenceTrue or false?
The lion let the mouse go.?
The mouse was bigger than the lion.?
The mouse kept his promise.?
The lion stayed tied up.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe mouse was little. He kept his promise and set the lion free.
Try it
Retell the fable to a grown-up.
Use the words first, next, then and last.
Then say the moral in your own words.

Word Spot: why, wish

Here are new sight words.

Look at each word. Say it. Spell it.

Why: W-H-Y.

Wish: W-I-S-H.

FIND THE WORD
  • Listen to the word.
  • Tap it.
Find the word you hear.
Find the word you hear.
Find the word you hear.
Find the word you hear.
FILL THE GAP
  • Listen to the sentence.
  • Tap the missing word.
___ do you like that book?
I ___ it would snow.

Great listening! Tomorrow Chris tells about a very slow racer.