1.5 More aesop’s fables

MORAL: Don't count your chickens before they've hatched.

The Mouse, the Cat and the Rooster

The young mouse returned from his first journey into the outside world with a tale of two creatures he'd met. One he described as a fearsome monster wearing a bright red crown. It flapped its arms about and scratched up the earth with its big claws. It threw back its head to give out terrifying screeches from its big yellow jaws. "Oh, that was only old Rooster the Cockerel, " his mother told the young mouse. "Well, he frightened me so much," said the young mouse, "that I fled in fright just as I was about to speak to that other creature who had a furry coat and a pretty face with such a friendly smile." "Gracious!" cried Mother Mouse, "That was the cat, our greatest enemy who catches mice and eats them up. Keep well away from the cat!"

MORAL: Do not judge a person only by HIS outward appearance.

THE FOX AND THE GOAT

A fox had fallen into the well and couldn't get out. A thirsty goat came along and, upon hearing the fox call for help, looked down into the well and asked the fox if the water was good. "The water is so good that I cannot get enough of it," replied the fox and invited the goat to join him. The goat promptly jumped down into the well and drank his fill. Only then did the fox tell him that now they were both trapped, with no way of escape. The cunning fox explained that they could escape if the goat stood up on his back legs, with his front feet against the wall. Then, the fox would be able to run up the goat's back and reach the top of the well. "Then, I'll go and fetch some help and get you out of the well, also," added the fox. The goat did as he suggested and the fox ran up his back. But, when the fox jumped out of the well, he began to run away. He called out that he was in a hurry for an important meeting. "Hey, what about me?" the goat cried after him. "We had an agreement! " The fox did come back, but only to tell the goat: "If you had half as many brains as the hairs in your beard, you'd never have jumped down the well in the first place. You should have made sure there was a way to get back up again. I must dash away now or I'll be late for my meeting. Bye! Bye!" With that, the fox was gone, leaving the goat down the well.

MORAL: Always look before you leap.

Sour Grapes

The hungry fox tried again and again to reach the bunch of grapes hanging from a vine, high up on a fence. They were too high up for him to reach. So, he walked away, telling himself: "Ugh! They were not ripe enough to eat, anyway!"

MORAL:

Those who fail to get what they want often become critical of that which they cannot possess.

The Wolf and the Heron

The greedy wolf swallowed his food so quickly that a bone became stuck deep in his

throat. The wolf howled with pain, but no creature dared come near to help him. Only

when he offered a rich reward did a heron take pity on him. The heron popped her

head into the wolf's mouth and reached down his throat with her beak. She got hold

of the bone and gently removed it, relieving the wolf of his terrible pain. Then, the

heron politely asked the wolf for the reward he had promised. "Reward!" exclaimed

the wolf. "Your life is your reward, for not many place their heads into the mouth of a

wolf and live to tell the tale!"

MORAL: EXPECT NO REWARD IF YOU HELP THE WICKED.

Assessment

Learning outcome 4: writingthe learner is able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner:

4.4 applies knowledge of language at various levels:

4.4.1 word level.

Memorandum

Activity 1

• curry and rice
• bacon and eggs
• salt and pepper
• fish and chips
• oranges and lemons
• bread and jam
• peaches and cream
• pie with sauce
• sugar and spice
• tea and coffee

WORDS WITH SILENT b

• Someone who mends leaks in pipes is called a plumber.
• A comb has teeth and you use it to neaten your hair.
• A crumb is a very small piece of bread or cake.
• Your fingers go numb when they are so cold that you cannot feel them.
• Little Jack Horner stuck his thumb into his Christmas pie and pulled out a plum.