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Fables Worksheets

A fable is a fictional narrative whose characters are animals. They intend to teach lessons through the form of human characteristics found in the animal characters.

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A fable is a fictional narrative whose characters are animals. They intend to teach lessons through the form of human characteristics found in the animal characters. The most famous and oldest known collection of fables is those written by Aesop.

See the fact file below for more information on Fables, or you can download our 29-page Fables worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

FABLE AND ITS ORIGIN

  • Fable is a literary genre with a moral that aims to teach moral or life lessons to the reader. It is fictional prose that uses animals as its characters.
  • The animal characters in the story are given human attributes that serve as an instrument for the reader to recognize the lessons that the fable intends to impart.
  • Fable comes from the Latin word fābula, which means discourse or story.
  • Fable is known as timeless literature, as it is one of the oldest existing forms of storytelling used in both written and oral texts. 
  • Fables were originally known as literary pieces based on an oral tradition but later, these stories were put into written form. 
  • Fables were believed to begin spreading around 200 BCE However, the first documented fables came from ancient Greece and attributed to Aesop. 
  • Aesop was a Greek slave in the 4th century BCE whose collection of fables has endured to the present day.
  • Many historians believe that Aesop never put these fables into writing, and were transmitted orally (oral tradition) before being recorded into a manuscript.
  • Aesop wrote about general or universal themes, which became an inspiration for the later fabulists (people who wrote fables).
  • Some of Aesop’s fables are The Ant and the Grasshopper, The Frog and the Ox, The Fox and the Grapes, The Lion and the Mouse, and The Mischievous Dog. Some scholars say that Aesop represented himself in the form of a sage old man who would intervene in some of the stories. As the works of Aesop were studied, some political aspects were also pointed out, which inspired other fabulists.
  • George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a modern fable. It is believed that Orwell replicated Aesop’s The Wolves and the Dogs in his classic story.y writers utilized this technique. 
  • Jean de La Fontaine was a poet who also contributed hundreds of fables and left a significant mark on the entire genre.
  • De La Fontaine used an unconventional format while focusing on the intended moral lessons that conclude each fable.

FABLE VS. PARABLE

  • Parables and fables are always mistaken as similar literary works because their purpose is the same – to teach lessons to the reader.
  • Fables target younger readers who can be taught life lessons in the form of fantasy by using animal characters.
  • Parables, on the other hand, teach lessons through human characters. 
  • Furthermore, parables were usually taken from religious stories or teachings. Many famous parables originate from the Holy Bible.

FABLES AND THEIR PURPOSES

  • Fables generally intend to teach moral lessons. However, with a closer look, they tend to suggest human weaknesses and failures.
  • Firstly, fables reveal human nature. Some human characteristics depicted in the stories show human tendencies. For instance, in the story of The Ant and the Grasshopper, the ants are portrayed as hardworking people that prepare for their future. Conversely, the grasshopper shows those who do not optimize time to prepare for what might possibly happen in the future.
  • Secondly, some fables point out political or social issues. The Mice in Council is a fable about a mouse who suggests a solution to a problem, and after everyone agrees to the solution, no one wants to carry it out. It shows that sometimes, it is easy to think and suggest the solution to a problem, but it remains a concept while the people who are supposed to solve the issue are hesitant to take action.
  • Lastly, fables are instruments for character development. Most fables have a moral, although they do not explicitly state it, only suggesting what human beings can do or can be. As the animals become an example of what can possibly happen to someone, given the instances and their character, once they choose a certain path or take a certain action.

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

  • The Ant and the Grasshopper written by Aesop is one of the oldest fables still used today to relay moral lessons to its readers.
  • It has evolved into different versions and is used all around the world.
  • It is a story that conveys a message about hard work and procrastination embodied in the animal characters – the ant and the grasshopper.

Here is the classic version of the fable:

One bright day in late autumn, a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”

“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.

“Making music, were you?” they cried. “Very well; now dance!” And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.

  • In this story, you will see that the ant refuses to help the grasshopper, because during the time the ants were gathering and storing food, the grasshopper chose to play music and waste his time.
  • The fable shows two human characters: the person who works hard and prepares to secure his future and the person who does not care about their future. They waste time doing what they want rather than preparing for what could happen the next day.
  • For some, what the ant did to the grasshopper was inhumane because he let the grasshopper suffer the consequences of his actions. For others, it is fair and right to make the person realize the result of the decisions that he makes in life.
  • This classic representation of the human characters and the lessons conveyed paved the way for other premises to be looked into.
  • The story now evolved by giving it a different ending. Some versions show how the ants chose to help the grasshopper when they saw it freezing and starving.
  • The queen of the ants kept their principle of extending help to someone in need. In return, the grasshopper played his music to entertain the other ants.
  • The ants also made sure that the grasshopper would remember his lesson.
  • This adaptation of the fable presents the opportunity for readers to learn other lessons, such as the act of helping and appreciating one’s talent despite one’s mistakes.
  • Fables, like other literary genres, mirror human nature. Despite showing weaknesses most of the time, they can be an instrument to better humanity and improve character development.

Fables Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Fables across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Fables, a fictional narrative whose characters are animals. They intend to teach lessons through the form of human characteristics found in the animal characters. The most famous and oldest known collection of fables is those written by Aesop.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Fables Facts
  2. Happy Owl
  3. Fable or Not
  4. Reading Fables
  5. Human Characteristics
  6. Comparing Fables
  7. Movie Poster
  8. Reader’s Theater
  9. Animals in My Fable
  10. Life in a Fable

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a fable?

A fable is a short narrative or story that typically features anthropomorphic animals, plants, inanimate objects, or mythical creatures as characters. Fables often convey moral lessons or teach practical wisdom through allegorical storytelling.

What is the purpose of a fable?

The primary purpose of a fable is to convey a moral lesson or teach a universal truth in a memorable and engaging way. By using animals or other characters to represent human qualities or behaviors, fables make it easier for readers or listeners to identify with the message and apply it to their own lives.

Who are some famous fable writers?

Aesop is one of the most famous fable writers from ancient Greece, known for his collection of moral fables. His works include fables like “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Jean de La Fontaine, a French poet, is also renowned for his collection of fables that are based on Aesop’s style.

What is the structure of a fable?

Fables usually have a simple and concise structure. They typically include a brief introduction of the characters and setting, followed by a short narrative where the characters face a problem or conflict. The story concludes with a resolution that contains a moral lesson, often summed up in a proverb or maxim.

What is the moral of a fable?

The moral of a fable is the lesson or message that the story aims to convey. It’s usually stated explicitly at the end of the fable or can be inferred from the events of the story. The moral often reflects human virtues, behaviors, and values, providing guidance on how to live a virtuous and wise life.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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