1. Morals in Fables

2. Can you find the moral? Listen to the following fables as we read over them and figure out what the moral is for each.

3. The Dog in the Manger One day a dog decided to nap in a manger, which is a structure that holds hay for animals to eat from. At the end of the day, the tired oxen came to the stable and wanted to eat some of the hay in the manger. The dog awoke and barked so that the oxen could not eat the hay. “You are very mean,” the oxen said. “you don’t eat hay. Way keep us from having it?”

4. Let’s Talk… The Dog in the Manger What was the moral??

5. Don’t begrudge to others what you can’t use yourself.

6. The Ant and the Dove An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove take wing.

7. Let’s Talk… The Ant and the Dove What was the moral??

8. One good turn deserves another. Little friends may prove great friends. -Or-

9. The Shepherd-Boy and the Wolf A SHEPHERD-BOY, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.

10. Let’s Talk… The Shepherd-Boy and the Wolf What was the moral??

11. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf???!!!! There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.

12. The Four Oxen and the Lion A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.

13. Let’s Talk… The Four Oxen and the Lion What was the moral??

14. United we stand, divided we fall.