The Fox and the  Stork

There once was a clever fox who loved to play tricks. He invited his friend the stork over for dinner one day. When dinner was served, the poor bird saw that the meal was soup served in a flat dish. Try as she might, the stork could not drink the soup with her long, thin beak.

"I'm sorry you aren't enjoying the dinner," the fox said, laughing to himself over his trick.

"Oh, it's no problem at all," the stork said, acting very polite. "You must join me for dinner next time."

Soon the stork invited the fox to her house for dinner. The fox had worked hard all day and was very hungry. But when the  stork brought out the food, the fox got a surprise. The dinner was served in tall, narrow jars. With her long beak, the stork had no trouble gobbling up the tasty food. The fox's mouth did not fit in the jar, so he went home hungry. 

What is the main theme or lesson of the fable?

Theme is...

Why the Bat Flies at Night

Once upon a time, there was a war between the animals of the air and the animals of the land. The eagle would hunt and eat the rabbit. The owl was never safe from the fox. 

The bat had wings like the flying animals, but it had teeth like the land animals. Unsure which side to join, the bat joined whichever side was winning. When the air animals were ahead, the bat fought along with the air animals. When the land animals won a battle, the bat joined them. 

After many years, both sides decided to end the war. There was peace across the earth. But the animals could not forgot what the bat had done. Both the air animals and the land animals felt tricked by the bat. They decided to drive the bat away.

And that is why the bat hides away during the day and goes out only at night. 

What is the main theme or lesson of the fable?

The Fox and the Goat

Once upon a time, a fox was out walking in the woods. He did not see a well in the ground ahead, and he fell right into it. It was too deep for him to climb out. After several hours passed, a goat came walking by. The goat was feeling thirsty and saw the fox in the well. 

"How's the water down there?" asked the goat. 

"Why, hello, Goat," said the fox. "The water tastes great. Why don't you come in and have a sip?"

The goat jumped into the well and leaned down to start drinking. Quickly, the fox leaped onto the goat's back and used her horns to spring up and out of the well. 

"Oh no!" said the goat. "Now I'm stuck down here. Please help me!"

But the fox only said, "That was your mistake." And he ran off into the woods. 

What is the main theme or lesson of the fable?

Read the following myth from the Yoruba people of West Africa.

Eshu's Hat

Two friends stood on opposite sides of the road. One saw the red side of the hat. The other saw the white side. Later, the two friends talked about the strange man in the hat. 

"The hat was red," said the first friend.

 "No, you are wrong. The hat was white," said the second friend.

 "Do you think I'm lying?" asked the first friend. "The hat was as red as blood!"

 "Do you think I'm blind?" cried the second friend. "The hat was as white as milk!"

 The friends got into a fight, both believing they were right.

 The tricky Eshu had been watching them. Laughing, he went up to the angry friends.

 "Look, you fools!" he said. "My hat is red on one side and white on the other."

 What is the main theme?

 Read the following Filipino folktale.

 The Man with the Coconuts

 One day a man gathered dozens of coconuts to sell in the village. He loaded all the coconuts onto his horse. On his way, he met a boy.

 "How long do you think it will take for me to reach the village?" the man asked the boy. 

The boy looked at the huge pile of coconuts packed on the horse.

 "If you go slowly, you will arrive very soon," the boy said. "But if you go quickly, it will take you all day long."

 This boy doesn't make sense! the man thought to himself. I shouldn't listen to him.

 The man hurried his horse along. Soon, though, the coconuts fell off the horse. The man had to stop and pick them up again.

 He wanted to make up for lost time, so he made his horse go even faster. The coconuts fell off again, and once more the man had to gather them. It was late at night before he reached the village.

What is the theme?

 Read the following Chinese folktale.

 Lisheng and the Fox

 Long ago in China there lived a man named Lisheng. He had just gotten married and wanted to please his new wife. More than anything, she wanted a coat made of fox fur. She asked Lisheng to buy her one, but the coat cost too much.

 Lisheng came up with a plan. He would find a fox and make the coat himself. So he waited in the woods until a fox approached, and he grabbed it by the tail.

 "My wife wants a fox coat. Could you give me your fur?" Lisheng said.

The fox replied, "I'll make a deal with you. Let go of my tail, and I'll take off my fur and give it to you." 

 Lisheng did as the fox asked, but the fox ran away, laughing. Lisheng had been tricked, and his wife never got a fox fur coat.

What is the theme?

The Monkey and the Dolphin

A group of sailors set sail on a long voyage. They brought along monkey to keep them company. After several weeks at sea, there was a terrible storm. The choppy waves tossed around the small ship, and both the sailors and the monkey were thrown into the sea.

 A dolphin saw the monkey in the water and rescued him. The dolphin swam to a nearby island, carrying the monkey on her back. When they arrived at the island, the dolphin asked, "Have you been here before?"

 The monkey said, "Yes, I have. Actually, I am the king of this island." Of course, that was not true. In fact, no one lived on the island at all.

 The dolphin replied, "Good. Then you no longer need me." And she swam off, leaving the monkey stuck on the island.

What is the theme?

A Little Help from a Friend

 Maxwell looked at the pile of firewood. His neighbor, Mr. Foy, was paying him to move it all into his shed. Maxwell had been working for an hour already, but the pile didn't look much smaller.

 Suddenly he heard someone calling his name. Looking up, he saw his friend Jon. He gave a tired wave, and Jon came over to say hi.

 "Hey. It looks like this is going to take a while. Maybe all day," said Jon. Maxwell shot him a look that seemed to say, "Thanks for stating the obvious."

 "Can you use a wheelbarrow to haul the wood? It would be a lot quicker," said Jon.

 "Good idea. I can ask Mr. Foy if he has one I can use," said Maxwell.

 "I would. You want some help, too?" Jon asked.

 "Really? Okay," said Maxwell.

 It turned out that Mr. Foy did have a wheelbarrow behind the shed that Maxwell could use. Then Maxwell and Jon both loaded the firewood into the wheelbarrow, rolled it into the shed, and stacked it neatly against a wall. The whole job took an hour.

 Maxwell went to tell Mr. Foy that he'd finished. Mr. Foy was surprised that he was done already.

 "Yeah, it went faster than I thought," Maxwell said. He wondered if he should tell Mr. Foy that Jon helped. Jon hadn't asked to be paid, but Maxwell felt he should probably mention it. For some reason, though, he didn't.

 "That's good to hear. Here's your pay," Mr. Foy said, handing Maxwell some cash.

 Maxwell looked at the money. It was a lot. "Actually, my friend Jon helped. It was his idea to use the wheelbarrow," Maxwell admitted.

 Mr. Foy nodded in approval. "It seems to me that Jon earned some of that money, too."

 "Yeah," said Maxwell, "he did."

 Which of the following best describes the main theme of the story?

A Little Help from a Friend

 Maxwell looked at the pile of firewood. His neighbor, Mr. Foy, was paying him to move it all into his shed. Maxwell had been working for an hour already, but the pile didn't look much smaller.

 Suddenly he heard someone calling his name. Looking up, he saw his friend Jon. He gave a tired wave, and Jon came over to say hi.

 "Hey. It looks like this is going to take a while. Maybe all day," said Jon. Maxwell shot him a look that seemed to say, "Thanks for stating the obvious."

 "Can you use a wheelbarrow to haul the wood? It would be a lot quicker," said Jon.

 "Good idea. I can ask Mr. Foy if he has one I can use," said Maxwell.

 "I would. You want some help, too?" Jon asked.

 "Really? Okay," said Maxwell.

 It turned out that Mr. Foy did have a wheelbarrow behind the shed that Maxwell could use. Then Maxwell and Jon both loaded the firewood into the wheelbarrow, rolled it into the shed, and stacked it neatly against a wall. The whole job took an hour.

 Maxwell went to tell Mr. Foy that he'd finished. Mr. Foy was surprised that he was done already.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is People deserve to get credit for their work.

Quest to the Top

 Michael loved to play Legend of Starfell on his computer. He played online every day and was the expert among his friends. He showed them how to find all the hidden tools and tricks he had mastered.

 One day, he was playing online with his friends and telling each of them what to do. In his excitement, he snapped at them when they made any kind of mistake.

 "Michael, stop yelling," his friend Mark said over the headset.

 "Yeah. I'm playing for fun here," said Jay. Michael apologized.

 From then on, however, he started playing more on his own. That way he could be as competitive as he wanted. Sometimes he was already in the middle of a game when his friends wanted to start one. Michael would ignore their requests, so they played without him.

 When summer vacation started, Michael filled entire days with Legend of Starfell. Meanwhile, his friends made plans to get together. If the plans didn't include gaming, Michael didn't bother to join them.

 By summer's end, Michael's progress had stalled. He was highly ranked, but he couldn't break into the "elite pro" level. He was finally tired of playing.

 At that point, his friends had stopped calling. When Michael reached out to them, they were busy. Summer was almost over, and Michael had nothing to show for it except sore eyes from staring at his computer screen. He couldn't remember having much fun at all.

What is the main theme of the story?

Quest to the Top

 Michael loved to play Legend of Starfell on his computer. He played online every day and was the expert among his friends. He showed them how to find all the hidden tools and tricks he had mastered.

 One day, he was playing online with his friends and telling each of them what to do. In his excitement, he snapped at them when they made any kind of mistake.

 "Michael, stop yelling," his friend Mark said over the headset.

 "Yeah. I'm playing for fun here," said Jay. Michael apologized.

 From then on, however, he started playing more on his own. That way he could be as competitive as he wanted. Sometimes he was already in the middle of a game when his friends wanted to start one. Michael would ignore their requests, so they played without him.

 When summer vacation started, Michael filled entire days with Legend of Starfell. Meanwhile, his friends made plans to get together. If the plans didn't include gaming, Michael didn't bother to join them.

 By summer's end, Michael's progress had stalled. He was highly ranked, but he couldn't break into the "elite pro" level. He was finally tired of playing.

 At that point, his friends had stopped calling. When Michael reached out to them, they were busy. Summer was almost over, and Michael had nothing to show for it except sore eyes from staring at his computer screen. He couldn't remember having much fun at all.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is Obsession can cause you to neglect what is actually important?

A Tale of Two Sisters

 Liane was confident about the sand sculpture contest. She and her sister, Amanda, had been building sandcastles for years. People often stopped to admire the intricate details of their creations.

 The two knelt in the damp sand by the foamy surf and tried to hatch a winning idea for the contest.

 "We should make something really unusual for this contest. Like a giant octopus or something," said Liane.

 "I thought we were making a sandcastle town, like we always do. Look, I collected all these shells for the walls," said Amanda. She pointed at a pile of smooth cowrie shells.

 "Come on, let's do something different," Liane insisted. "Think big!"

 "I don't know," Amanda said, dragging a finger in the sand. "No, I'm sticking to the original plan." She compressed a clump of sand between her palms, shaping it into a castle corner.

 "I'll just make my own, then," Liane said. She marched to another spot a few yards away, plopped herself down, and began making her own sculpture.

 At the end of the day, Liane gave up on her sculpture of a giant octopus attacking a castle. It looked like a lopsided shack with a blob on it. Liane hadn't had time to add any details.

 Amanda had made a satisfactory castle, small but neatly ornamented with shells. Around it she had shaped the sand to look like rolling farmland. Amanda had spent most of her time on making a little herd of shell cows.

Looking around, Liane realized that neither of them would win the contest. Liane's sculpture was missing Amanda's skillful touch, and Amanda's castle was missing Liane's big ideas.

What is the main theme of the story?

A Tale of Two Sisters

 Liane was confident about the sand sculpture contest. She and her sister, Amanda, had been building sandcastles for years. People often stopped to admire the intricate details of their creations.

 The two knelt in the damp sand by the foamy surf and tried to hatch a winning idea for the contest.

 "We should make something really unusual for this contest. Like a giant octopus or something," said Liane.

 "I thought we were making a sandcastle town, like we always do. Look, I collected all these shells for the walls," said Amanda. She pointed at a pile of smooth cowrie shells.

 "Come on, let's do something different," Liane insisted. "Think big!"

 "I don't know," Amanda said, dragging a finger in the sand. "No, I'm sticking to the original plan." She compressed a clump of sand between her palms, shaping it into a castle corner.

 "I'll just make my own, then," Liane said. She marched to another spot a few yards away, plopped herself down, and began making her own sculpture.

 At the end of the day, Liane gave up on her sculpture of a giant octopus attacking a castle. It looked like a lopsided shack with a blob on it. Liane hadn't had time to add any details.

 Amanda had made a satisfactory castle, small but neatly ornamented with shells. Around it she had shaped the sand to look like rolling farmland. Amanda had spent most of her time on making a little herd of shell cows.

 Looking around, Liane realized that neither of them would win the contest. Liane's sculpture was missing Amanda's skillful touch, and Amanda's castle was missing Liane's big ideas.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is Sometimes it's better to compromise and work together.

For the Birds

 When Philip got home from school, he noticed that the birdhouse he'd made had fallen off the maple tree in the front yard.

 He picked it up and looked at the tree. The hook he'd used to hang the birdhouse had come loose in the wood, pulled down by the weight. Philip removed the hook and screwed the pointy end into a new spot in the branch. The wood seemed to grip it tightly. Then Philip put the birdhouse back on the hook.

 The next morning, Philip saw that it had fallen again. He was late for school, but he couldn't just leave it there. He pulled out the hook and screwed it deeper into the wood. Then he carefully hung the birdhouse again.

 When Philip got home that afternoon, he saw that the birdhouse was still hanging. A blue jay was even perched at the entrance. Philip beamed.

 Suddenly, a breeze shook the birdhouse, and it fell onto the grass yet again. The bluejay shot away like an arrow.

 This time Philip brought the birdhouse inside. He threw away the hook without a second thought. Digging through the junk drawer, he found an extra-long shoelace. He tied it around the birdhouse. Then he brought the birdhouse outside and tied it to a branch. He tugged on it to make sure it would stay. It seemed pretty secure.

 The birdhouse was still hanging the next morning. And the next week. A week after that, Philip saw signs of a bird's nest inside. The birdhouse was finally a home.

What is the main theme?

For the Birds

 When Philip got home from school, he noticed that the birdhouse he'd made had fallen off the maple tree in the front yard.

 He picked it up and looked at the tree. The hook he'd used to hang the birdhouse had come loose in the wood, pulled down by the weight. Philip removed the hook and screwed the pointy end into a new spot in the branch. The wood seemed to grip it tightly. Then Philip put the birdhouse back on the hook.

 The next morning, Philip saw that it had fallen again. He was late for school, but he couldn't just leave it there. He pulled out the hook and screwed it deeper into the wood. Then he carefully hung the birdhouse again.

 When Philip got home that afternoon, he saw that the birdhouse was still hanging. A blue jay was even perched at the entrance. Philip beamed.

 Suddenly, a breeze shook the birdhouse, and it fell onto the grass yet again. The bluejay shot away like an arrow.

 This time Philip brought the birdhouse inside. He threw away the hook without a second thought. Digging through the junk drawer, he found an extra-long shoelace. He tied it around the birdhouse. Then he brought the birdhouse outside and tied it to a branch. He tugged on it to make sure it would stay. It seemed pretty secure.

 The birdhouse was still hanging the next morning. And the next week. A week after that, Philip saw signs of a bird's nest inside. The birdhouse was finally a home.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is If one way of doing something keeps failing, try another way.

Tryouts

Arianna tried to ignore her sore throat and stuffy nose. She was trying out for the soccer team, and Coach Makhi Martin would pick only the twenty best players.

Arianna sipped from her water bottle while she waited to do practice drills. She sneezed, and then Coach Martin signaled her to start. First, Arianna had to run across the field as fast as she could. She took off, but her stuffy nose made it hard to breathe. When she reached the end of the field, she felt dizzy and her head was swimming a little. She hoped the coach hadn't noticed.

 Next, she and another girl had to compete for control of the soccer ball. The other girl quickly stole the ball from Arianna. Arianna was surprised. She was usually good at this. For the first time, she worried that she might not make the team.

 Arianna struggled through the other drills, too. At the end of the tryout, she felt terrible and left as soon as she could.

 A few days later, Arianna had recovered from her cold. She was still worried about her performance at the tryout, but maybe it wasn't too late to do something about it.

 Arianna went to see Coach Martin. She explained that she hadn't done her best because of her cold. Coach Martin listened patiently and agreed to let Arianna join the team for the first practice.

 That was all Arianna wanted. She knew she would be a valuable member of the team. She just needed a chance to prove it.

What's the main theme?

Tryouts

Arianna tried to ignore her sore throat and stuffy nose. She was trying out for the soccer team, and Coach Makhi Martin would pick only the twenty best players.

Arianna sipped from her water bottle while she waited to do practice drills. She sneezed, and then Coach Martin signaled her to start. First, Arianna had to run across the field as fast as she could. She took off, but her stuffy nose made it hard to breathe. When she reached the end of the field, she felt dizzy and her head was swimming a little. She hoped the coach hadn't noticed.

 Next, she and another girl had to compete for control of the soccer ball. The other girl quickly stole the ball from Arianna. Arianna was surprised. She was usually good at this. For the first time, she worried that she might not make the team.

 Arianna struggled through the other drills, too. At the end of the tryout, she felt terrible and left as soon as she could.

 A few days later, Arianna had recovered from her cold. She was still worried about her performance at the tryout, but maybe it wasn't too late to do something about it.

 Arianna went to see Coach Martin. She explained that she hadn't done her best because of her cold. Coach Martin listened patiently and agreed to let Arianna join the team for the first practice.

 That was all Arianna wanted. She knew she would be a valuable member of the team. She just needed a chance to prove it.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is Sometimes it pays to ask for a second chance.

The Unhappy Princess

 Once there was a king who had a daughter named Princess Araminta. He loved her greatly, and he wanted to make her happy more than anything in the world.

 He bought her a fine steed, but she didn't like to ride. He bought her beautiful and expensive clothing, but Araminta said that the gold embroidery scratched at her neck. He bought a grand palace in the mountains to be their summer home, but Araminta thought the empty stone hallways felt drafty and lonely.

 The king couldn't understand. He'd given his daughter everything that made him happy—a fine horse, nice clothes, and a beautiful palace.

 "What else could you possibly want?" he asked her. Araminta didn't have an answer for him because she didn't know.

 One day, she was wandering near a creek by herself, watching the little silver fish dart around in the water. She saw an abandoned fishing pole leaning against a tree. Impulsively, she hooked a worm to the hook and then cast the fishing rod into the water.

 She sat there on a rock by the creek for hours as she fished, enjoying the warm sunshine on her skin. When she caught a trout, she shouted with joy.

 "Father, would you buy me a fishing pole?" Araminta asked her father later that day.

 "Well, that's easy enough. But I don't understand," the king said. "How could a fishing pole possibly make you happy?"

 Araminta simply smiled. "You don't have to understand," she said.

What is the main theme?

The Unhappy Princess

 Once there was a king who had a daughter named Princess Araminta. He loved her greatly, and he wanted to make her happy more than anything in the world.

 He bought her a fine steed, but she didn't like to ride. He bought her beautiful and expensive clothing, but Araminta said that the gold embroidery scratched at her neck. He bought a grand palace in the mountains to be their summer home, but Araminta thought the empty stone hallways felt drafty and lonely.

 The king couldn't understand. He'd given his daughter everything that made him happy—a fine horse, nice clothes, and a beautiful palace.

 "What else could you possibly want?" he asked her. Araminta didn't have an answer for him because she didn't know.

 One day, she was wandering near a creek by herself, watching the little silver fish dart around in the water. She saw an abandoned fishing pole leaning against a tree. Impulsively, she hooked a worm to the hook and then cast the fishing rod into the water.

 She sat there on a rock by the creek for hours as she fished, enjoying the warm sunshine on her skin. When she caught a trout, she shouted with joy.

 "Father, would you buy me a fishing pole?" Araminta asked her father later that day.

 "Well, that's easy enough. But I don't understand," the king said. "How could a fishing pole possibly make you happy?"

 Araminta simply smiled. "You don't have to understand," she said.

Select the quotation from the story that most strongly suggests that the theme is Different things make different people happy.