Aesop
|
Greece

The Mother and The Wolf

A hungry Wolf falls for a mother's threat to give her crying baby to the wolves, only to be left disappointed and hungry.
Trust
Desire
Deception
Featured in Fable Book
Aesop's Fables - The Mother and The Wolf
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, a big, hungry Wolf wandered through a thick forest. Suddenly, he heard a voice. It was a mother, trying to soothe her crying little baby.

"If you don't quiet down, I'll give you to the wolves!" she threatened. The Wolf's ears perked up and his stomach growled at the thought of a hearty meal.

With his mouth watering, the Wolf decided to wait for his promised feast. Night fell, and the forest became silent, yet his meal didn't come. As the stars twinkled above, the Wolf sat alone, his tummy rumbling in disappointment.

The baby's cry was just a story, and the mother's words were simply meant to bring about quiet. From that night onwards, the Wolf learned not to trust every voice he heard in the hushed whispers of the forest. Now, his hopes for a feast were replaced with the persistent pangs of hunger.

Once upon a time, a big, hungry Wolf was walking through a thick forest. Suddenly, he heard a voice. It was a mother trying to calm her crying baby.

"If you don't stop crying, I'll give you to the wolves!" she said. The Wolf's ears perked up, and his stomach growled at the thought of a good meal.

Excited and hungry, the Wolf decided to wait for his promised feast. Night came, and the forest became quiet, but the meal never arrived. As the stars shone above, the Wolf sat alone, his stomach rumbling in disappointment.

The mother had only said those words to quiet her baby, not to give the child away. From that night on, the Wolf learned not to believe everything he heard in the dark forest. Instead of a feast, he was left with nothing but an empty stomach.

Once upon a time, a big, hungry Wolf was walking through a thick forest. Suddenly, he heard a voice. It was a mother trying to calm her crying baby.

"If you don't stop crying, I'll give you to the wolves!" she said. The Wolf's ears perked up, and his stomach growled at the thought of a good meal.

Excited and hungry, the Wolf decided to wait for his promised feast. Night came, and the forest became quiet, but the meal never arrived. As the stars shone above, the Wolf sat alone, his stomach rumbling in disappointment.

The mother had only said those words to quiet her baby, not to give the child away. From that night on, the Wolf learned not to believe everything he heard in the dark forest. Instead of a feast, he was left with nothing but an empty stomach.

Once upon a time in a big, green forest, there walked a Wolf. He was so hungry, his tummy was yelling louder than a soccer crowd. While he was on the lookout for some easy grub, he heard a voice. It was a mom, doing her best to calm down her tiny, crying bundle of joy.

"If you don't stop crying, I'll have to give you to the wolves!" she half-joked to her baby.

The Wolf's ears perked up like he'd just heard the ice cream truck. "Free dinner? Well, twist my tail and call me a dingo!" he thought. His stomach started doing its own happy dance.

Thinking he'd hit the snack jackpot, the Wolf decided to hang tight, like waiting for the next big drop on a roller coaster. The sun clocked out for the day, and the moon showed up, but his meal-to-be was a no-show.

Morning light sneaked through the trees and his stomach offered another grumbly reminder. The Wolf finally got the picture. Moms say all sorts of things to quiet down their kids, and he'd been waiting for a dinner that was never on the menu.

With a big old sigh, the Wolf said, "Well, I guess next time I'll try the 'Find-A-Bunny' game instead!" And off he trotted, still hungry but a teensy bit wiser.

A Wolf so hungry, full of yearn,
Roamed the woods at each twist and turn.
He heard a voice, a mother's plea,
"To wolves you'll go if you don't agree!"

Ears perked up, his heart aflutter,
Imagining a feast like no other.
He licked his chops, his tummy growled,
A promise of a meal, in thoughts it prowled.

He found a spot and settled in,
Dreaming of the feast that would soon begin.
Night descended, forest still,
Stars above, yet time stood still.

He waited long, no cry, no coo,
The night wore on, the cold wind blew.
His hopes were high, but came to naught,
No tasty feast as he had thought.

For mom had spoken just to hush,
A crying babe in evening's blush.
Her words were simply empty air,
No truth in them, it wasn't fair.

The lesson learned was hard but just,
In whispered words place not your trust.
Though hunger stayed, his hopes did wane,
Fooled by words, in hunger's bane.

From that night forth, this Wolf would know,
Not every tale will end in woe.
He'd trust no more in what he heard,
Deceived by a misleading word.

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Word Finder

  1. Hungry

    Wanting food because you haven’t eaten recently.

  2. Thick

    Full of trees or plants, hard to walk through.

  3. Calm

    Make someone feel peaceful and stop being upset.

  4. Perked

    Quickly raised up because something caught your attention.

  5. Growled

    Made a low, angry sound, usually when hungry or angry.

  6. Excited

    Feeling very happy or eager about something coming.

  7. Promised

    Said you would definitely do something in the future.

  8. Feast

    A big, special meal with lots of food.

  9. Disappointment

    Feeling sad because something didn’t happen as expected.

  10. Rumbling

    A long, low sound, like when you're hungry.

Understanding Questions

  1. What did the mother say to calm her crying baby?
  2. Why did the Wolf decide to wait in the forest?
  3. What did the Wolf expect to receive as a reward for waiting?
  4. Did the Wolf get the meal he was waiting for? Why or why not?
  5. What did the Wolf learn from his experience in the forest?
Word Finder
  1. Hungry

    Wanting food because you haven’t eaten recently.

  2. Thick

    Full of trees or plants, hard to walk through.

  3. Calm

    Make someone feel peaceful and stop being upset.

  4. Perked

    Quickly raised up because something caught your attention.

  5. Growled

    Made a low, angry sound, usually when hungry or angry.

  6. Excited

    Feeling very happy or eager about something coming.

  7. Promised

    Said you would definitely do something in the future.

  8. Feast

    A big, special meal with lots of food.

  9. Disappointment

    Feeling sad because something didn’t happen as expected.

  10. Rumbling

    A long, low sound, like when you're hungry.

Understanding Questions

    What did the mother say to calm her crying baby?

    1. "Hush, sweetie."
    2. "It's time for bed."
    3. "Don't cry, I love you."
    4. "Let's play a game."
  1. Why did the Wolf decide to wait in the forest?

    1. He was hungry.
    2. He wanted to scare people.
    3. He was bored.
    4. He heard a noise.
  2. What did the Wolf expect to receive as a reward for waiting?

    1. A meal.
    2. A friend.
    3. Gold coins.
    4. Power.
  3. Did the Wolf get the meal he was waiting for? Why or why not?

    1. Yes, he was patient.
    2. No, he fell asleep.
    3. Yes, someone fed him.
    4. No, he left too soon.
  4. What did the Wolf learn from his experience in the forest?

    1. To be patient.
    2. To trust others.
    3. To be more aggressive.
    4. To find new friends.
  1. What did the mother say to calm her crying baby?
  2. Why did the Wolf decide to wait in the forest?
  3. What did the Wolf expect to receive as a reward for waiting?
  4. Did the Wolf get the meal he was waiting for? Why or why not?
  5. What did the Wolf learn from his experience in the forest?
  1. What did the mother say to calm her crying baby?
  2. Why did the Wolf decide to wait in the forest?
  3. What did the Wolf expect to receive as a reward for waiting?
  4. Did the Wolf get the meal he was waiting for? Why or why not?
  5. What did the Wolf learn from his experience in the forest?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the Wolf believed what the Mother said to her baby?
  2. How did the Wolf feel when he realized he had been tricked?
  3. Can you remember a time when you believed something that wasn't true?
  4. What does this story teach us about being careful with what we believe or trust?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this fable in our own lives when it comes to believing what we hear?
Fable Quotes
Not every voice that whispers in the wind speaks the truth.
Unchecked desire can lead to unseen disappointment.
Belief in every tale could lead to an empty plate.
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