Fables, folktales and legends often teach important values. People from every culture create stories to demonstrate proper ways to act and to live a good life. Read the short fable below and answer the questions that follow to discover what this fable might be teaching us.

The Lazy Dog

A group of animals traveled to a nearby field to harvest rice. One animal, a dog, was too lazy to go with the others. He preferred to sleep instead. While the rest of the animals harvested, the dog slept. When the animals finished harvesting, they enjoyed a delicious feast together. They played and ate lots of food. The dog woke up as the other animals returned home carrying some leftovers from the feast. Feeling so hungry after a long sleep, the dog asked the other animals for a little food. Nobody gave him even a small piece of meat.

1. Write three words that describe the dog’s attitude.
2. What does the dog do in the story that made you pick those words?
3. Write three words that describe the other animals.
4. What do the animals do in the story that made you pick those words?
5. What choice did the dog make that caused problems for him?
6. How might the dog make things work out better next time?
7. The story is teaching us…

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