Short Story Unit
What are they?

Myths, legends & fables are stories that are
passed down through many generations, but
they all have a different purpose.

Most of the time, these stories ARE NOT
written down and are told by memory!

Fables, Myths and Legends are very
important, because this is how we remember
past generations. It explains what they
believe and give clues to their lives.
Myths

A myth is a story with a purpose. It
tries to explain the way the world
is. Myths also try to explain the
relationship between gods and humans.
Even though the events in a myth are
usually impossible, they try to send a
message that has an important social or
religious meaning.
Myths Cont…

People have always tried to figure out
common questions like who made the
universe or questions like what causes a
storm. Religion, gods, and myths were
created when people tried to make sense
out of these questions. For early people,
myths were like science because they
explain how things work. They also
explained other questions that are now
answered through modern science.
4 Rules for Myths
Story that uses the Supernatural
Interprets natural events
Explains the nature of humanity (why we
do what we do)
4. Expresses a cultures view of the universe
1.
2.
3.

Eg. Greek Mythology – Hercules or King
Arthur
What is Greek Mythology

The people of ancient Greece shared stories
called myths about the gods, goddesses, and
heroes in which they believed.

Each god or goddess was worshipped as a
deity and ruled over certain areas of the
Greeks’ lives.

These exciting stories explained natural
phenomena that could not be explained by
science in the ancient world.
Why should we study Greek
Mythology?

The Ancient Greek culture
has been kept alive by the
oral and later written
stories handed down
through thousands of
years.

Modern plays, novels,
television programs,
movies and even
advertisements refer to
Greek gods, goddesses,
heroes and their stories.

Adventurous and exciting
stories delight and
entertain us.
What is Mount Olympus?

Traditionally regarded as
the heavenly abode of the
Greek gods and the site of
the throne of Zeus

These gods and goddesses
did not actually live upon
Olympus, rather the ancient
myth can be understood to
be a metaphor for the
power of the sacred
mountain

It is believed the Olympians
gained their supremacy in
the world of gods after Zeus
led his siblings to victory in
war with the Titans
Pantheon

The Pantheon is a building in
Rome which was originally built
as a temple to all the gods of
Ancient Rome. Literally
translated, pan = all and theon
= of the gods.

A hole at the dome's top point
allows daylight into the
majestic main room, a shifting
spotlight that slowly fades into
twilight and allows no defense
against the rain or the
occasional Roman snowfall.
Pantheon history states that
the interior of the roof is
intended to symbolize the
heavens, and the giant hole
above is supposedly the eyes of
the gods.
Who Were the Gods and
Goddesses of the Pantheon on
Mount Olympus?
Zeus – Leader of the Olympian gods

He ruled the Olympians.

He was the god of the
sky, lightning and
thunder carrying a
thunderbolt as his
symbol.

He married Hera, his
sister, which was a
family habit.

He fathered many
children with various
goddesses and mortals.
Hera – Wife of Zeus

She was the protector of
marriage and the home.

She was associated with
the peacock, because of
her great beauty.

She and Zeus were always
quarreling.

She was called the queen
of intriguers, a vindictive
and jealous wife, who
frequently outwitted her
husband, Zeus.
Poseidon – god of the sea

He built an underwater palace
with a great pearl and coral
throne.

Although he chose Thetis, a
beautiful water nymph, as his
queen, he, like his brother
Zeus, was a great wanderer
fathering hundreds of children.

He was a difficult god,
changeful and quarrelsome, but
created many curious forms for
his sea creatures.

He invented the horse for his
sister Demeter, whom he
loved.
Hades – god of the Underworld

He was the jealous brother
to Zeus and Poseidon.

He made Persephone his
wife after stealing her from
her mother, Demeter, who
was his sister.

Because he was a violent
god, who was also very
possessive of every new
soul, he rarely left his
underworld domain.
Demeter - goddess of Corn
and the Harvest

She was the goddess of
growing things.

She was the mother of
Persephone, whose
father was Zeus.

Her daughter was
kidnapped by Hades and
taken to the Underworld
for six months of the
year causing the change
of seasons.
Hestia – goddess of the hearth

She was the sister of Zeus
and the daughter of
Cronos and Rhea.

She represented personal
and communal security
and happiness.

She was thought of as the
kindest and mildest of the
goddesses.

She was of little
mythological importance,
appearing in only a few
stories.
Athena-Goddess of Wisdom,
Justice, War, Civilization and Peace

She was born full grown out of
the head of Zeus.

She taught man to use tools
and taught his wife to spin and
weave.

She was the best-loved
goddess on Olympus.

She hated Ares, god of war,
often besting him in battle.

The Greek city of Athens is
named after her.

She was said to have created
the spider.
Apollo-The Sun God; God of Music,
Poetry, Wisdom, Light and Truth

He was the twin brother of
Artemis and the most
handsome of the gods.

He was also the god of the
healing arts and of
medicine.

He drove his chariot across
the sky to pull the sun
each day.

His son, Phaethon, drives
Apollo’s sun chariot with
disastrous results.
Artemis- Goddess of the Woods,
Moon and the Hunt

She was the twin sister
of Apollo, whose mother
was Leto and father was
Zeus.

She was a chaste
huntress, who always
carried a silver bow and
arrows.

She ruled over the
untamed places of the
earth.
Dionysus-God of Revelry
and the Vine

He is said to be the only
god on Olympus with a
mortal parent.

His creation of wine
brings ecstasy and
drunkenness to his
revelers.

Much of the ancient
world’s greatest poetry
was created in his
honor.
Ares - Cruel God off War

He was a ruthless and
murderous god, who
displayed the worst of
humanity’s traits.

He, along with grief,
strife, panic, and terror,
roams the earth.

Ironically, he was a
coward, who fled the
field of battle.
Hephaestus-God of Fire, Volcanoes
and the Forge

He was the ugliest of
the gods, who was
rejected by his mother,
Hera, when she hurled
him off of Mount
Olympus crippling him.

He fashioned the armor
and tools of the gods on
a broken mountain near
Mount Olympus.

He made beautiful
jewelry for the
goddesses.
Hermes- God of Mischief and
Messenger of the Gods

He was the precocious
son of Zeus and Maia, a
Titaness.

As a baby, he made a
lyre and pipe for his
half brother, Apollo.

He carried Apollo’s
golden staff and flew
around the heavens and
earth on winged
sandals.
Aphrodite-Goddess of Love & Beauty

She is the goddess of
desire born from sea foam.
Another myth credits her
mother as Dione and her
father as Zeus.

After all the gods on Mount
Olympus courted her, she
married Hephaestus, the
ugliest of the gods.

Because she was judged
the most beautiful of all
the goddesses on Mount
Olympus by Paris, the
other goddesses envied
her.
Paris and the Golden Apple

STOP!

Read the MYTH, Paris and the Golden
Apple.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!
Paris & Apple Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What are Paris’ parents named?
What was Hecuba’s dream about?
What other story do you know that uses the line, “fairest
of them all”? Are there similarities between those stories?
What 3 goddesses are in a beauty contest?
What does Paris mean when he says, “How can a mortal
man succeed when the gods have failed”?
Where does Aphrodite tell Paris to go?
Who is the most beautiful woman? Who is she married
to?
Name all of the Kings who agreed to help Menelaus fight
Troy. (Hint: There are 6).
Who thinks the Greeks are tricking the Trojans?
What does Oenone mean when she says, “I died ten
years ago”?
Paris’ Questions Cont…

BY YOURSELF answer these questions: (Value 20)
1.
Are there elements of this myth that you find hard to
believe? Explain fully. How are these elements an
essential part of myths?
2.
Would you describe Paris as a hero? Explain your answer.
3.
What was the worst mistake made by a character in this
story? Have you ever had to make a difficult decision?
What helped you? Do you think Paris made the right or
wrong choices? Explain.
4.
How are the characters in this selection rewarded or
punished? Do you think this myth is intended to teach a
lesson? What lesson is it trying to teach?
Paris Group Work

Complete the handout Ms. Williams has
given you, to complete a FANTASTIC
example for future generations!

Must be neat and use lots of color! Worth
30 MARKS!
The Iliad

The Iliad is a powerful, beautiful, and
awe-inspiring work of ancient Greece. It
combines the horridness and sometimes
mundane part of war into a epic poem
filled with art, illustrious descriptions, and
a myriad of wonderful literary images.

There are 24 books in the Iliad all
together!
Homer

The Iliad was written by a man named Homer
(not Simpson!) in 800 B.C.E

Homer was a BLIND Greek poet and he
probably lived during 800-700 B.C.E!

Not a lot is known about Homer, and some
scholars doubt that Homer actually wrote this
epic poem. They suggest that perhaps a
group of poets got together and shared all of
the stories that they had been telling and
combined them into one story.
The Iliad

Translated, it literally means The Story of
Troy.

The Iliad is the story of the battle of Troy.
Some scholars believe that this battle never
took place, and that the poem, being an oral
tradition, was just embellished to make it
more exciting.

The original Iliad was written in the Greek
dialect and has since been translated into
hundreds of languages.
Sample of the Iliad

“Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles
son of Peleus, that brought countless ills
upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did
it send hurrying down to Hades, and many
a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and
vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove
fulfilled from the day on which the son of
Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles,
first fell out with one another.” Book I
Summary




3 goddesses are fighting over a golden apple
– because each one thinks they are the most
beautiful and should have the apple
Zeus, being smart enough to know not to
pick one, asks Paris to chose the goddess
who is the most beautiful
Each goddess bribes Paris, but in the end, he
chooses Aphrodite, who promises to give him
the most beautiful bride in the land
This angers the other two goddesses who
vow revenge on him and the Trojans forever
Summary Cont…




Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman in
the world, Helen, is already married to the
Spartan King, and he will not let her be taken
without a fight.
When Paris visits Sparta, he steals away with
Helen and some of the Spartan King’s money
to Troy and doesn’t tell the King!
The King of Sparta is very angry and gathers
thousands of people to go to Troy and get
Helen back.
The Iliad opens in the 10th year of this war!
Troy

STOP!

Let’s watch Troy!

You will complete a
quiz as you watch the
movie! Also, look for
major themes in the
movie. We will discuss
these themes after
the movie is finished.
Troy Major Themes

Revenge – The revenge of Achilles – wants to
punish anyone who has wronged him – Greeks
seek revenge on the Trojans

Glory and Honor – The war begins because
another man’s wife left with someone else! The
war goes on for 10 YEARS! Paris gives the sword
of Troy to a boy leaving the city, because as long
as the sword reminds in the hands of a Trojan,
there is a future for Troy.

Respect – Priam says, “Even enemies can show
respect” when talking to Achilles about giving
Hectar’s body back for a proper burial.
Themes Cont…

Persistence – Even though the war goes on
for 10 years, the Greeks don’t give up. They
have lost many men AND they haven’t seen
their wives OR children!

Love/Women – Women play an important
role in shaping how these men act. Briseis
loves Achilles and at one point, Achilles wants
to go home and not fight anymore. The
Trojan war starts because Helen leaves her
husband. Also, the goddesses are the ones
who cause the war (Paris and the Golden
Apple)!
Writing Assignment

Write a ¾ page on the topic of one of the
above themes we discussed. Use other
examples from the movie to support your
choice of theme. You can also relate this back
to your life: have you ever tried to take
revenge? Has a girl drove you crazy enough
to do something you regret?

GOOD COPY AND ROUGH COPY PLEASE!

Value: 20 MARKS!!!
Gods/Goddesses Project

Now that you know all about the heavenly
powers controlling everything in our
world, it’s time for you to take control and
learn about a god or a goddess of your
choice!

See handout and plan to have 3 days in
the computer lab to complete the task…
don’t leave your fate to the gods, get the
work done!
What's a Legend?

Similar to a myth, a legend is a narrative told as a true
story. Sometimes the details are difficult to confirm, but
usually the story names people and identifies locations.
The person telling the story usually does not claim to be
an eyewitness to the events, but heard it from someone
who knows someone who heard it from someone who
was really there... Legends often contain a moral or a
lesson and are told to uphold the values of the
community. They often involve supernatural or religious
elements.
King Arthur
King Arthur was a legendary king in England in the
Middle Ages. His life has been retold many times
over the centuries; hence, most of the incidents in
his life have several versions.
 He established a brilliant court at Camelot, where he
gathered around him the greatest and most
chivalrous warriors in Europe, the Knights of the
Round Table.
 Lancelot, Galahad, Percival and Gawain were
notable knights. Other characters associated with
the legends were Merlin, Morgan le Fay and Queen
Guinevere.

Legend of King Arthur

King Arthur was a king who ruled England. He brought
peace to the land because no enemy could defeat him
and many backed away from his deadly sword. Arthur
owned a special sword that was given to him and that
could kill anyone. The scabbard, or the sword’s case,
could instantly heal any disease. This sword was called
Excalibur. When King Arthur was ruling England, he
grew restless and the legend goes that he soon
conquered France. He then formed Camelot and the
Round Table. Camelot was Arthur’s royal castle and the
place where the Round Table was located.
Legend Cont…

King Arthur and the knights were semi-fictional
characters that protected England for over a century.
The debate over whether they really existed is still a hot
topic with historians. Most agree that he did rule
England around 500 A.D. Since he lived before the
middle ages, he was not the medieval knight that many
think he was. Most believe that he did rule England for
a short while, but not in the style of greatness that the
stories make him out to be. Some historians believe that
he did live in Camelot with his Round Table. No matter
what the real facts are, it is true that King Arthur
probably did exist.
Legend Cont…

Many people wonder if the Round Table was a round
table, a group of men, or just a figure of speech. It was
actually a real table created to seat over 150 knights in
King Arthur’s castle, Camelot. It was made of very
valuable wood and by its size would have been worth A
LOT of money. It was created by Merlin as a wedding
present when Arthur married Guinevere. There are
rumors that said that Merlin enchanted the table to
make it invincible when Arthur was alive. This is of
course only a rumor. The round table was a majestic
and powerful table.
King Arthur and the Sword

STOP!

Read the story King Arthur and the Sword adapted
from a story written by Sir Thomas Malory and hear
how Arthur pulled Excalibur from a ROCK!
King Arthur Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Who is Sir Ector?
Why did Arthur’s father send him away?
In your own words, tells me what the words on the sword
meant.
Why did Arthur pull the sword from the stone the 1st time?
What happened when Sir Kay found out about the sword?
What did Sir Ector ask Sir Kay to do with the sword?
Why did Arthur have to pull the sword from the stone
multiple times?
What is the relationship like between Arthur and Sir Ector
and Sir Kay? Give an example to prove your answer.
Lord Alfred Tennyson
Tennyson was the most
popular poet of the Victorian
age. He expressed the
period’s moral earnestness,
religious doubts, and fears &
hopes about science and
democracy more completely
than his peers did.
He was a great lyrical poet: he
had an impressive ability to
express emotion, especially
melancholy emotions of grief
and loss & loneliness, in a
musical and memorable way.
Tennyson Bio
Father was a clergyman, but it “drove him to drink”. People
tried to explain his behavior by saying he had epilepsy, and
also said some of the children had it, but, really, he was an
alcoholic and the entire family was rather “eccentric”.
There were 12 children in his family.
At Cambridge, he formed a close friendship with Arthur
Henry Hallam, whose death he mourned in his famous elegy,
“In Memoriam” (1850).
Arthur Hallam introduced him to Emily Sellwood, the love of
his life. Hallam himself became engaged to Alfred’s sisters.
They didn’t marry, but when she married someone else, she
named her son Arthur Henry Hallam Tennyson Jesse.
Tennyson Bio Cont…

The same year Arthur Henry Hallam died, Alfred’s
brother was admitted to a mental asylum, where he
stayed until his death.

Hallam’s death (combined with a hostile review in
1830) sent him into severe melancholy. For ten years,
he published nothing.

In 1839 Alfred and Emily were officially engaged. By
1840, they were officially unengaged because her father
had put a stop to it – supposedly because Alfred was too
poor to marry. He was also unhappy because his other
daughter, Louisa, was very unhappily married to
Alfred’s brother Charles (who was an opium addict).
Tennyson Bio Final!

In 1842 Tennyson decided that his health was bad
and he let his doctors talk him into not writing for
two years. He always had hypochondriac
tendencies, but chain-smoking and a bottle of port
every day didn’t help.

He died in 1892, peacefully, apparently of gout,
with his wife and son by his side. He’d outlived
most of the great writers of his time. At his request,
his poem “Crossing the Bar”, an epitaph of sorts, is
always printed last in any collection of his works.
The Lady of Shalott
Lord Alfred Tennyson

The Lady of Shalott is a
magical being who lives alone
on an island upstream from
King Arthur's Camelot. Her
business is to look at the
world outside her castle
window in a mirror, and to
weave what she sees into a
tapestry. She is forbidden by
the magic to look at the
outside world directly. The
farmers who live near her
island hear her singing and
know who she is, but never
see her.
Summary

The Lady sees ordinary
people, loving couples, and
knights in pairs reflected in
her mirror. One day, she
sees the reflection of Sir
Lancelot riding alone.
Although she knows that it
is forbidden, she looks out
the window at him. The
mirror shatters, the tapestry
flies off on the wind, and
the Lady feels the power of
her curse.
Summary

An autumn storm suddenly
arises. The lady leaves her
castle, finds a boat, writes
her name on it, gets into
the boat, sets it adrift, and
sings her death song as she
drifts down the river to
Camelot. The locals find the
boat and the body, realize
who she is, and are
saddened. Lancelot prays
that God will have mercy
on her soul.
The Lady of Shalott

STOP!!!

Lets read this poem together. While reading, please
HIGHLIGHT any words you don’t know.

Make note of the RHYME SCHEME for PART II.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUuZBXNw0O
8&feature=related
Lady of Shalott Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
What is in the fields next to the river?
Name two trees that grow on the river bank.
Who heard the Lady of Shalott signing?
What does the Lady of Shalott do all day?
Why can she not go out or look out her window?
How does the Lady of Shalott know what is going on outside?
What picture does she weave in her web?
Who did she see in the mirror riding through the “barley sheaves”?
What picture was on his shield?
What color is his hair?
Why did the mirror crack and the web fly out the window?
Where did the Lady of Shalott find her boat?
Why did the Lady of Shalott die?
What did Sir Lancelot say when he saw her dead body?
Who wrote the poem?
Choose 5 vocabulary words, write out the sentence it is found in in the poem
and then DEFINE it.
Lady of Shalott Group

Now that you have finished reading the “Lady of
Shalott,” it is time to summarize in your own words,
that is going on.

Summarize the Part you are given, and then draw it
in a 6 pane cartoon.
Summary – Part I
The poem begins with a description of a rvier and a
road that pass through long fields of barley and rye
before reaching the town of Camelot. The people of
the town travel along the road and look toward and
island called Shalott, which lies further down the
river. On the island, a woman known as the Lady of
Shalott is imprisioned within a building made of
“four gray walls and four gray towers.”
 Only the reapers who harvest the barley hear the
echo of the Lady of Shalott’s singing.

Summary – Part II
The Lady weaves a magic, colorful web. She has
heard a voice whisper that a curse will befall her is
she looks down to Camelot, so she concentrates
solely on her weaving, never lifting her eyes.
 However, a mirror hangs before her and in the
mirror, she sees the “shadows of the world,”
including the highway. She sees different people
walking on the road, and she enjoys her solitary
weaving, but she is frustrated with the world of
shadows when she glimpses a newlywed couple.

Summary – Part III
A knight in brass armor comes riding through the
fields of barley beside Shalott and the sun makes
him sparkle and glitter like the stars. He has a bugle
hanging from his waist, which makes noises as he
gallops on his horse.
 He is very handsome, and as he gallops past the
island of Shalott he sings out “tirra lirra.” When the
Lady hears the knight, she stops weaving her web
and abandons her loom. The web flies out from the
loom, and the mirror cracks and the Lady
announces the arrival of her doom.

Summary – Part IV


As it starts to rain, the Lady of Shalott descends from her
tower and finds a boat. She writes the words, “Lady of
Shalott” around the boat’s bow and looks downstream to
Camelot. She lies down in the boat, and the stream carries
her to Camelot. She sings her last song as she sails to
Camelot, her blood them freezes, her eyes darken and she
dies.
As the boat sails into Camelot, all the knights, lords and ladies
or Camelot emerge from the halls to behold her. They read
her name on the bow and “cross themselves for fear.” Only
the great knight Lancelot is bold enough to push aside the
crowd, look closely at the dead maiden, and remark, “She has
a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace.”
King Arthur

STOP!

Now that you know about the legend of King
Arthur, Sir Lancelot and others, let’s watch the
movie about the REAL King Arthur!

Pay close attention similarities between the legend
and the movie King Arthur. Take notes on major
conflicts, themes and storylines in the movie.
King Arthur Movie Review

You are going to write a movie review for
King Arthur. Make sure you mention that
similarities or non-similarities between the
legend of King Arthur and the real King
Arthur.

When writing a movie review keep the
following things in mind:
Movie Review Guidelines

Paragraph 1: Create a GOOD LEAD. Start with a
quote, refer to the director, etc. Grab the reader’s
attention.

Paragraph 2: RECAP very quickly. Keep it brief and
don’t give away the ending!

Paragraph 3: Give your OPINION. Make sure you back
your opinion up with examples from the movie. (Eg.
Movie too long? Actors believable?) In this paragraph,
mention any similarities or non-similarities to King
Arthur the legend.

Paragraph 4: Give the film a RATING. Rate the film
out of 5 stars (5 being the best).
Movie Review Cont…

Value: 30 MARKS!

You will be marked on:
 Content (10 marks) – Did you cover all points
thoroughly with examples?
 Creativity (10 marks) – Were you thoughts original?
Did you put time into your planning?
 Organization/Conventions (10 marks) – Did you use
paragraphs? Is your spelling/grammar fairly done?
King Arthur Important Information


2004 Touchstone Pictures
Actors/Actresses:
 Clive Owen – Arthur
 Ioan Gruffudd – Lancelot
 Keira Knightley – Guinevere



Rating – PG13
Length – 142 mins
Setting - In 400 AD, the Roman Empire
extends to Britain and the Romans become
impressed with the fight skills of the warrior
Sarmatian people.
Fables

A fable is a very short story that tells us
how to behave or that teaches us a
lesson. Usually, but not always, fables are
stories about animals that talk like people.
The lesson that a fable teaches us is called
a moral.

Eg: The Boy who cried wolf – moral of the
story, if you continue to lie, people won’t
trust you anymore
Grimm’s Fairytales

Looking for a sweet, soothing tale to waft
you toward dreamland? Look somewhere
else. The stories collected by Jacob and
Wilhelm Grimm in the early 1800s serve
up life as generations of central Europeans
knew it—unpredictable and often cruel.
The two brothers, patriots determined to
preserve Germanic folktales, were only
accidental entertainers.
Grimm’s Cont…

Once they saw how the tales bewitched
young readers, the Grimms, and editors
aplenty after them, started "fixing" things.
Tales gradually got softer, sweeter, and
primly moral. Yet all the polishing never
rubbed away the solid heart of the stories,
now read and loved in more than 160
languages.
Who are the Grimm Brothers?
JACOB LUDWIG GRIMM
1785-1863
WILHELM CARL GRIMM
1786-1859
Just the Facts
•
Grimm’s primary method for
collecting tales was by
inviting story tellers to their
homes and writing the
information down
•
Story tellers consisted of
young educated woman
from middle class to
aristocracy
•
The Grimm’s wanted the
people to know the basic
truths about the customs
and practices of the German
people and on preserving
their authentic ties to the
oral tradition
Grimm’s Kinder-und Hausmarchen
•
English translation Children’s
and Household Tales
•
1812 1st volume was published.
Consisted of 86 stories and
folktales
•
1814 2nd volume is published.
Consisted of 70 stories and
folktales
•
All together the Kinder-und
Hausmarchen saw 8 editions
•
The final contained 200 stories
and folktales, including 10
children's legends
Grimm Brother Achievements
•
The Grimm brothers
produced a significant
amount of books during
their lifetime
•
Jacob Grimm publishes
21
•
Wilhelm Grimm
publishes 14
•
Together the brothers
published 8
The Frog King

Stop!

Read the Brothers Grimm’s tale, The Frog
King.

Once done, with a partner, come up with
the “moral of the story.”
The Brothers Grimm

STOP!

With a partner, read your assigned
Grimm’s fairytale.

How is it different from the Disney version
you may have heard of before?

Once done, YOU WRITE 15 questions for
teaching this fairytale.
Who was Aesop?

Aesop was a Greek folk
hero who is supposed to
have lived in the 6th
century BC, and made
up stories to make life
easier.

He gained a great
reputation as a teller of
animal fables. Through
these many fables,
Aesop showed the wise
and foolish behavior of
men, and taught a
lesson in the form of a
moral.
Aesop

Not much is known about
the life of Aesop. It is
believed Aesop was born in
Thrace, Greece, as a slave.
It is said that his wisdom
so delighted one of his
masters that the slave was
given his freedom.

According to one tradition,
Aesop lived for a while as
a slave on the island of
Samos, after being freed
he traveled widely, then
was murdered while
visiting Delphi
Aesop’s Fables

There are no records that
Aesop ever wrote down his
fables or published them.

His fables were not meant
to entertain children. He
told them as moral lessons
for adults, who in turn
passed them on to others.

Not until 200 years after
his death did the first
written collection of fables
appear!
Aesop’s Fables

Aesop's fables later
served as an
inspiration for the
writings of Jean de La
Fontaine, a 17thcentury French writer

Since then Aesop's
Fables have been
translated into almost
every language in the
world.
The Man and the Serpent

A Countryman's son by accident trod upon a
Serpent's tail, which turned and bit him so that
he died. The father in a rage got his axe, and
pursuing the Serpent, cut off part of its tail. So
the Serpent in revenge began stinging several of
the Farmer's cattle and caused him severe loss.
Well, the Farmer thought it best to make it up
with the Serpent, and brought food and honey to
the mouth of its lair, and said to it: "Let's forget
and forgive; perhaps you were right to punish my
son, and take vengeance on my cattle, but surely
I was right in trying to revenge him; now that we
are both satisfied why should not we be friends
again?"
The Man and the Serpent

STOP!

Read the above fable and then answer the
following questions!
Why did the man bring honey and food
to the snake?
2. Why did the snake refuse the food and
honey from the man?
3. What do you think the moral is?
1.
The Lion and the Mouse

Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running
up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who
placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to
swallow him. "Pardon, O King," cried the little Mouse:
"forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows
but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these
days?"
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able
to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go. Some
time after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters
who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a
tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing
the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him and
soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the
Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse.
The Lion and the Mouse

STOP!

Read the above fable and then answer the
following questions!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why did the lion let the mouse go?
How did the mouse help the lion? Why?
Who learned something in this fable—the
mouse or the lion? What did he learn?
What do you think the moral is?
The Hares and the Frogs

THE HARES, oppressed with a sense of their own
exceeding timidity, and weary of the perpetual
alarm to which they were exposed, with one
accord determined to put an end to themselves
and their troubles, by jumping from a lofty
precipice into a deep lake below. As they
scampered off in a very numerous body to carry
out their resolve, the Frogs lying on the banks of
the lake heard the noise of their feet and rushed
helter-skelter to the deep water for safety. On
seeing the rapid disappearance of the Frogs, one
of the Hares cried out to his companions: Stay,
my friends, do not do as you intended; for you
now see that other creatures who yet live are
more timorous than ourselves.
The Hares and the Frogs

STOP!

Read the above fable and then answer the
following questions!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why did the hares want to drown
themselves?
Why did they decide not to?
What animals might the frogs see that
would make them say the same thing the
hares said?
What do you think the moral is?
The Fox and the Mask

A Fox had by some means got into the
store-room of a theatre. Suddenly he
observed a face glaring down on him and
began to be very frightened; but looking
more closely he found it was only a Mask
such as actors use to put over their face.
"Ah," said the Fox, "you look very fine; it
is a pity you have not got any brains."
The Fox and the Mask

STOP!

Read the above fable and then answer the
following questions!
Why was the fox afraid when he first saw
the mask?
2. What did the fox mean when he said,
“It’s a pity you haven’t got any brains?”
3. What do you think the moral is?
1.

One fine day it occurred to the Members of the Body that
they were doing all the work and the Belly was having all
the food. So they held a meeting, and after a long
discussion, decided to strike work till the Belly consented to
take its proper share of the work. So for a day or two, the
Hands refused to take the food, the Mouth refused to
receive it, and the Teeth had no work to do. But after a day
or two the Members began to find that they themselves
were not in a very active condition: the Hands could hardly
move, and the Mouth was all parched and dry, while the
Legs were unable to support the rest. So thus they found
that even the Belly in its dull quiet way was doing
necessary work for the Body, and that all must work
together or the Body will go to pieces.
The Belly and the Members

STOP!

Read the above fable and then answer the
following questions!
1.
What did the other body parts want the
belly to do?
How did they try to force the belly to do
what they wanted?
What did the body parts learn?
What do you think the moral is?
2.
3.
4.

ONCE UPON A TIME a Wolf resolved to disguise
his appearance in order to secure food more
easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, he
pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd
by his costume. In the evening he was shut up
by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed,
and the entrance made thoroughly secure. But
the shepherd, returning to the fold during the
night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly
caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed
him instantly. Harm seek. harm find.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

STOP!

Read the above fable and then answer the
following questions!
1.
2.
3.
4.
How did the wolf trick the lamb?
Why did the lamb think the wolf was one of
the sheep?
3 What are some examples of things that
look safe but may be dangerous?
What do you think the moral is?
Aesop’s Final Project

Now that you’re a Fable expert, it’s time
to put that knowledge to the test!

See the project sheet and get to work!
The Brothers Grimm

STOP!

Let’s watch the movie
“Brothers Grimm” to
finish off the unit,
“Myths, Legends and
Fable.”

Be ready for a test in
the next few days.