Aesop’s Fables

1. Aesop’s Fables

2. Home Page

3. The Man Behind the Stories Who was Aesop? How were Aesop’s Fables passed down?

4. Who was Aesop? Write 3 facts about Aesop in your book (1 fact for each flap). Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller. He lived 2500 years ago, around 550 BCE.  Some say he was a slave who so delighted his master with his stories that Aesop was given his freedom. The Greeks were like that. They rewarded talent. That old legend could be true.  There are no records to prove that Aesop ever wrote anything down. Fortunately, many years after his death, people started to write down the fables Aesop collected, so they could be more easily shared.     Over the centuries, Aesop's fables have been rewritten and published and illustrated and translated into almost every language in the world.  

5. How were Aesop’s Fables passed down? In Aesop’s time, not everybody was lucky enough to learn how to read. Many stories were passed down by word of mouth, or telling them to other people.

6. Fables

7. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

8. Click on the picture to go to the video. When you are finished watching the video, close that window and come back to this page. Click the star to go back to where you were.

9. Compare the Characters What was the town mouse like? Write some describing words in your book under the flap.

10. Compare the Characters What was the town mouse like? Write some describing words and phrases in your book under the flap. Likes to talk Enjoys fancy things Lives in a mansion

11. Compare the Characters What was the country mouse like? Write some describing words and phrases in your book under the flap.

12. Compare the Characters What was the country mouse like? Write some describing words and phrases in your book under the flap. Eats simple foods A good listener Lives in a bush Likes peace and quiet

13. The Moral of the Story Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty.

14. What do wild mice really eat? Mice in the wild will typically eat whatever vegetation is available. They will eat whatever fruits and seeds are in season and grows in the area. If they are not available or out of season, they will eat tree bark, roots, oats, corn, or even potatoes. Mice that live near farms in the countryside will not only eat food scraps from the garbage, but they will also eat corn, wheat or whatever types of crops are being grown.

15. The Dog and His Reflection

16. Watch the video! Click on the picture to watch the video. Then close the window and come back here.

17. What is Greed? Greed is always wanting more than what you have. Greedy people are never happy with what they already have.

18. The Moral of the Story In your book, put the bones in order to find out the moral of the story!

19. The Hare and the Tortoise

20. Watch the video! Click on the picture to watch the video. Then close the window and come back here.

21. The Moral of the Story Slow and steady wins the race.

22. Vocabulary Words Click on the book to go to an online dictionary. Once you get to the dictionary, type in your words and then write the definition under the flap.

23. Design an award! In your book, design an award ribbon for the winner of the race. Make it awesome!

24. Extras! All finished? Go back and do these! • On the cover, draw a picture of your favorite fable. • Write your own fable and put it in the pocket on the “Fables” page. • Write your own ending to “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse”; put it in the pocket on that page.