Theme Practice (Aesop's Fables)

A HEAVY WAGON was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen. The wheels groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels: “Hello there! Why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry out.”

What is the theme in the passage above?

• The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

• Work now and play later...

• Those who do the least work complain the most.

• Do not attempt too much at once.

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew.

What is the theme in the passage above?

• The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

• Work now and play later...

• Those who do the least work complain the most.

• Do not attempt too much at once.

A monkey put his hand into a jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment.

What is the theme in the passage above?

• Choose the lesser of two evils.

• There is strength in unity.

• If men had all they wished, they would be ruined.

• Don't be greedy.

An old monkey on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered them to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the sticks. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. "Untie the bundle," said the father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You see my meaning," said their father.

What is the theme in the passage above?

• Choose the lesser of two evils.

• There is strength in unity.

• If men had all they wished, they would be ruined.

• Every tale is not to be believed.

Some dogs famished with hunger saw a number of cowhides steeping in a river. Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river, but it happened that they burst themselves with drinking long before they reached the hides.

What is the theme in the passage above?

• If at first you don't succeed, try, and try again.

• Do not attempt the impossible.

• You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

• Don't be greedy.

One winter a Monkey found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit the monkey, inflicting on him a mortal wound.

What is the theme in the passage above?

• Think things through before taking action. Don't be impulsive.

• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

• You cannot always change someone's nature by helping them.

• It is better to be true to yourself than to be popular.

A FIR-TREE said boastingly to the Bramble, "You are useful for nothing at all; while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses." The Bramble answered: 'You poor creatures, if you would only call to mind the axes and saws which are about to hew you down, you would have reason to wish that you had grown up a Bramble, not a Fir-Tree."

What is the theme in the passage above?

• Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

• Popularity is the key to success.

• Popularity can be a bad thing.

• Friendships are the heart of life.

A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion’s nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her. “Spare me!” begged the poor Mouse. “Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you.” The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go. Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter’s net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free. “You laughed when I said I would repay you,” said the Mouse. “Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion.”

What is the theme?

• A kindness is never wasted.

• If you are big, you are king!

• Small people are better than big people.

• Don't get caught!

One day a countryman going to the nest of his goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played on him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found that it was an egg of pure gold.

Every morning the same thing occurred, and he grew rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find nothing.

What is the theme?

• Greed can lead to destruction.

• Geese cannot lay golden eggs.

• Farmers lay eggs.

• All that glitters isn't gold.

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "That's for me, as I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. "Good-day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."

The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.

"That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future."

What was the advice (theme) that the fox gave?

• Do not trust what someone says, but what they do.

• Always eat before you sing.

• Foxes should not eat cheese.

• Crows and Foxes should share their cheese.