Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Leader Resource 1: Fables

1. The Golden Eggs

A farmer and his wife had a goose that laid golden eggs.

The first time it happened, they were angry. The egg was metal, not good to eat.

Then the farmer and his wife said, "Hey, this looks like gold. Real gold." They took it to a jeweler and found that it was real gold. They sold it for a lot of money.

Every day after that, they found another golden egg in the goose's nest. They were getting richer and richer, happier and happier. Until one day, they decided that they wanted more, and they wanted it right now.

"Let's kill the goose and get all the eggs out now," they said. So they did. But guess what? There were no more eggs inside. That was the end of the gold.

The moral or truth of this story is _____.

2. The Wagon Driver

One rainy day, a wagon driver and his horses were trying to move a heavy wagon through the mud.

The more the driver whipped the horses and the harder the horses pulled the wagon, the deeper the wheels sank into the mud.

The driver gave up. He sank down on his knees into the mud and he prayed to Hercules, the ancient god of Strength.

Suddenly Hercules appeared next to the wagon. "Help me, help me," the driver said.

But Hercules looked at him and said. "Hey, man. Get up off the ground and push that thing. Then maybe I'll lend a hand."
The moral or truth of this story is _____.

3. The Fox and the Grapes

A hungry fox was wandering along looking for food when he saw some beautiful grapes hanging from a vine on a very high tree.

"Just for me," said the fox. He shook the tree to make the grapes fall off but the tree did not move. He climbed up the tree but the trunk was too smooth and he fell back down. He jumped into the air and grabbed for the grapes but they were too high and he fell back again.

The fox was angry and disgusted. "Who wants those grapes?" he said. "I am sure they are sour anyway." And off he went, still looking for food.

The moral or truth of this story is _____.

4. The Miser and the Gold

A miser dug a hole and hid his gold there.

He loved his gold, so every week after that he went to open the hole and look at the gold to feel good about it.

One day a robber saw what the miser was doing. When the miser went away, the robber opened the hole and helped himself.

When the miser found the empty hole he shouted and yelled until a neighbor came running to see what was wrong.

When the miser told his story, the neighbor asked why the miser kept coming back to look at his gold.

"It made me feel good," said the miser.

"Then tomorrow come look at the hole," said the neighbor. "That should make you feel just as good."

The moral or truth of this story is _____.

5. The Fox and the Crow

A fox was walking through the forest one day when a crow flew by with a piece of cheese in its beak.

"That's for me," said the fox settled onto a branch.

"Hey there," called the fox. 'Aren't you the most beautiful bird in the world?"

The crow was startled, but the fox did not stop with that.

"You have the most beautiful feathers," he called up, "and your eye has the brightest gleam. I'll just bet that you have the most beautiful song in the world. Won't you please, please let me hear it?"

The crow was more than pleased. She opened her beak to sing — and in the process, she dropped her cheese.

"Thank you!" said the fox. He snapped up the cheese and walked happily away.

"Hey!" said the crow, but she was too late.

The moral or truth of this story is _____.

6. The Shepherd Boy

The shepherd boy had a job tending the sheep high on a lonely hill. "This is boring," the boy said. "Boring, boring, BORING."

So he put a little excitement into his life. "WOLF!" he yelled. "WOLF! WOLF! WOLF!"

There was no wolf around, but most of the village came rushing to help and the boy had company for an hour or two.

The next day was a repeat of the first. "This is BORING!" said the boy. "WOLF! WOLF! WOLF!" Again, the villagers rushed to the rescue and again the boy was happy.

The third day started the same way. The boy was stuck with sheep for company, and he was very bored. Until he looked across the field and saw a wolf running into the flock. "Oh no!" he shouted. Then, "WOLF! WOLF! WOLF!"

But this time, the villagers stayed where they were. "Fool us once," they seemed to be saying. "Fool us twice. But not three times."
The boy was not very happy. But the wolf was. He dined very well that day.

The moral or truth of this story is _____.