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Fable of the Month

The Talking Cave

There is a big forest. A strong lion lives in the forest. He is the king of the forest. He can roar very loud. One day, the lion cannot find food. He looks everywhere but finds no animals to eat. It is getting dark, and he is very hungry.

The lion sees a cave. He thinks, "Maybe an animal lives here. Maybe this animal will be my food." The lion goes into the cave and waits.

A smart jackal lives in the cave. The jackal comes home and sees the lion's footprints. He knows the lion is inside.

The jackal has a plan. He stands outside the cave and talks to it. "Hello, cave," he says. "Is it safe for me to come in today?"

He says this very loud. "If you do not talk back, I will not come in," he adds.

Inside, the lion thinks he should talk like the cave. He roars, "Yes, it is safe for you to come in."

The jackal hears the roar. He knows the lion is inside. He runs away fast and never comes back. The lion is alone, fooled by the smart jackal.

Once upon a time, in a big jungle, there was a strong lion. He was the king of the forest, and his loud roar could be heard everywhere. One day, the lion couldn't find any food. He looked all over the jungle but didn't see any animals to eat. It was getting late, and he was very hungry.

Just when he was about to give up and go home, he saw a cave. He thought that whoever lived there might be a good meal, so he decided to go inside the cave and wait.

This cave belonged to a smart jackal. When the jackal came back from his day out, he saw the lion's footprints going into the cave. He was clever and knew the dangers of the jungle. He guessed that the lion might be hiding inside, waiting to eat him.

The jackal quickly made a plan to trick the lion. He stood outside the cave and started talking to it as if it could talk back. "Hello, dear cave," he said, "Is it safe for me to come in today?"

He kept asking this question loudly, hoping that anyone inside would hear him. "I won't come in unless you answer me," he added, hoping his trick would work.

Inside the cave, the lion started to worry that he might lose his meal. Not realizing the jackal's plan, he decided to pretend to be the cave and answer back. He roared, "Yes, dear jackal, it's safe for you to come in."

As soon as he heard the lion roar, the jackal knew he was right. He didn’t waste any time and ran away as quickly as he could, promising himself never to go back to that cave again. And so, the hungry lion was left alone, outsmarted by the clever jackal.

In a vast jungle, there lived a mighty lion, the ruler of the forest. His powerful roar echoed through the land. One day, the lion struggled to find any food. He searched the jungle thoroughly but found no animals to prey upon. As the day turned to dusk, his hunger grew more intense.

Just as he was about to abandon his search and return home, he noticed a cave. The lion thought that whoever resided in the cave could be a potential meal. He decided to enter the cave and wait.

This cave was the home of a shrewd jackal. When the jackal returned from his day’s adventures, he noticed the lion’s paw prints leading into the cave. Being wise and aware of the jungle’s dangers, he suspected that the lion might be hiding inside, ready to pounce.

The jackal quickly devised a plan to outwit the lion. Standing outside the cave, he began to speak to it as if it could respond. “Hello, dear cave,” he called out, “Is it safe for me to enter today?”

He repeated his question loudly, hoping to provoke a reaction from within. “I won’t come inside unless you answer me,” he insisted, hoping his ruse would succeed.

Inside the cave, the lion grew anxious, fearing he might miss his chance for a meal. Unaware of the jackal’s clever trick, the lion decided to impersonate the cave and replied, “Yes, dear jackal, it’s safe for you to come in.”

Hearing the lion’s roar, the jackal’s suspicions were confirmed. He wasted no time and fled as fast as he could, vowing never to return to that cave again. Thus, the hungry lion was left alone, outsmarted by the cunning jackal.

In a jungle so big it'd make a mapmaker cry, there lounged a lion, who on this day felt a teeny bit less king-like. Why? His stomach was performing a solo concert, and the tune was "Hungry!"

He wondered aloud, "Did all the animals get an invite to a secret party I missed?" Still, ever the optimist, he thought, "There’s gotta be one critter around here who wouldn't mind being...um, my snack."

Then, he saw it: a cozy-looking cave. Bingo! “Hello, dinner... I mean, cave!” he thought, trying to act casual as he tiptoed in.

But, you see, this was no ordinary cave. Nope! It was the swanky pad of a smarty-pants jackal – the kind who'd probably ace a quiz show. On his way home, spotting lion-sized paw prints, he thought, "Uh-oh, those aren’t from my tiny trotters!"

Concocting a plan that was a mix of genius and just plain wacky, he shouted, "Hey there, Cave! New voice mail system, huh? Safe to pop in?"

Inside, the lion scratched his head. "Do caves usually talk back? I really should keep up with jungle tech," he mused. Then, trying his best 'casual cave' voice, he replied, "Oh, absolutely! No lions here. It’s as safe as a marshmallow fort!"

Our quick-thinking jackal chuckled, “Oh, Mr. Lion, you should've rehearsed that!” And he zoomed off, possibly in search of a more tech-savvy cave.

The lion, left pondering, thought, “Maybe I should get a snack delivery subscription instead?”

And thus, in a jungle filled with surprises, even the mightiest sometimes need a backup dinner plan.

Deep within the jungle's green and wide,
A lion with pride did reside.
Majestic and fierce, his roar did soar,
Echoing far, from shore to shore.

But one hungry eve, with no prey in sight,
His belly did rumble, with much spite.
He wandered and searched, high and low,
Until a cave appeared, with a dim glow.

"Perhaps," he thought, "a meal lies within,
A creature or two, with soft thin skin."
So, he sneaked inside, quiet and sly,
Waiting for the cave's owner, by and by.

Now, this cave was the jackal's abode,
Who soon returned from the crossroad.
Seeing the lion's tracks at the door,
He thought, "There's danger, of this I'm sure."

To test his thought, the jackal did pretend,
To speak to the cave, like an old friend.
"Dear cave," he called, "Is it fine to step in?"
Hoping the lion would fall for his spin.

Hearing the jackal's voice so clear,
The lion thought, "My dinner is near!"
To fool the jackal and ensure his win,
He roared, "Come in! There's no one within."

The jackal, smart with wits so keen,
Quickly saw through the lion's scheme.
With a swift turn, he dashed from the fray,
And the lion's hope for a meal did sway.

Word Finder

  1. Forest

    A big place with many trees and animals.

  2. Roar

    A very loud noise made by a lion.

  3. Footprints

    Marks made by feet on the ground.

  4. Hungry

    Feeling the need to eat food.

  5. Cave

    A large hole in the side of a hill or mountain.

  6. Waits

    Stays in one place until something happens.

  7. Smart

    Clever, and quick to think of good ideas.

  8. Plan

    An idea about what to do.

  9. Safe

    No danger, not harmful.

  10. Fooled

    Tricked or deceived by someone.

  1. Jungle

    Big, thick forest with many trees.

  2. Roar

    Loud, deep sound made by lions.

  3. Footprints

    Marks left by feet on the ground.

  4. Clever

    Smart and quick to think of solutions.

  5. Danger

    Something that can cause harm.

  6. Plan

    Idea about how to do something.

  7. Trick

    A clever way to fool someone.

  8. Pretend

    Act like something is real when it's not.

  9. Realize

    Understand something clearly.

  10. Outsmarted

    Be more clever than someone else.

  1. Mighty

    Very strong and powerful in every way.

  2. Echoed

    A sound that repeats because it bounces back.

  3. Thoroughly

    To search or do something completely and carefully.

  4. Dusk

    The time in the evening when it starts to get dark.

  5. Shrewd

    Very smart and good at making decisions.

  6. Devised

    To think of a plan or a solution carefully.

  7. Outwit

    To be smarter than someone and trick them.

  8. Impersonate

    To pretend to be someone or something else.

  9. Ruse

    A trick or an action meant to deceive someone.

  10. Cunning

    Clever at planning and tricking people in smart ways.

  1. Lounged

    Relaxed and stretched out comfortably.

  2. Optimist

    A person who always looks for the good side.

  3. Critter

    A small animal or creature.

  4. Casual

    Relaxed and not worried.

  5. Swanky

    Fancy and stylish.

  6. Ace

    To do very well at something.

  7. Concocting

    Creating or planning something.

  8. Trotters

    Animal feet or hooves.

  9. Mused

    Thought about something quietly.

  10. Rehearsed

    Practiced something to get it right.

  1. Majestic

    Very grand, beautiful, and impressive.

  2. Fierce

    Very strong or powerful; not gentle.

  3. Soar

    To fly or rise high in the sky.

  4. Spite

    Anger or hatred towards something or someone.

  5. Abode

    A home or place where someone lives.

  6. Crossroad

    A place where two roads meet and cross each other.

  7. Pretend

    To act as if something is true when it is not.

  8. Scheme

    A clever plan, often to do something dishonest.

  9. Swift

    Very fast or quick in movement.

  10. Fray

    A fight or struggle, often noisy or intense.

Understanding Questions

  1. Who is the king of the forest?

    1. The jackal
    2. The lion
    3. The cave
    4. The forest
  2. What does the lion look for?

    1. Water
    2. Shelter
    3. Food
    4. Friends
  3. Where does the lion decide to wait for food?

    1. In a tree.
    2. By a river.
    3. Inside a cave.
    4. On a rock.
  4. How does the jackal know the lion is inside the cave?

    1. He hears the lion talking.
    2. He sees the lion's footprints.
    3. He smells the lion.
    4. He sees the lion's shadow.
  5. What does the lion do when the jackal talks to the cave?

    1. The lion stays quiet.
    2. The lion runs away.
    3. The lion roars back.
    4. The lion eats the jackal.
  1. Why was the lion in the jungle looking for food?
  2. What did the lion decide to do when he couldn't find any animals to eat?
  3. How did the jackal know that the lion was inside the cave?
  4. What was the jackal's plan to avoid being eaten by the lion?
  5. What did the lion do when he heard the jackal talking outside the cave?
  1. What prompted the lion to enter the cave in the first place?
  2. How did the jackal discover the presence of the lion inside the cave?
  3. What strategy did the jackal use to confirm his suspicion about the lion's presence?
  4. Why did the lion decide to respond to the jackal while hiding in the cave?
  5. What was the outcome for the lion after the jackal's clever trick?

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the lion decided to hide in the cave instead of continuing to look for food in the jungle?
  2. How did the jackal use his cleverness to figure out the lion's plan?
  3. Can you think of a time when you used your wits to solve a problem?
  4. What does this story tell us about the importance of thinking before acting?
  5. In what ways can we apply the lesson from this story in our day-to-day life to stay safe and avoid danger?

Fable Quotes

Caution is the compass that guides us through the treacherous paths of deceit and danger.
In the jungle's game of wits, true wisdom lies not in deception, but in seeing through its facade.
Deception may lead the unsuspecting astray, but cleverness and truth shall expose the hidden prey.
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