Aesop
|
Greece

The Rooster and The Jewel

A hardworking Rooster finds a valuable jewel in the ground but prioritizes his family's survival over its worth, leaving the jewel behind.
Value
Contentment
Wisdom
Featured in Fable Book
Aesop's Fables - The Rooster and The Jewel
Audio available for B1 version

In a quiet farm, there lived a Rooster. He worked day and night, scratching and scraping the ground. He was always on a mission to find food for his family.

One sunny day, as the Rooster was scratching and scraping, his feet hit something hard. He looked down and saw a gleaming object buried in the dirt. With a strong flap of his wings, he dusted off the soil and revealed a shiny jewel.

The Rooster tilted his head, observing the gem. It was a beautiful thing, shimmering under the sunlight, no doubt lost by someone who once treasured it dearly.

"Aha," the Rooster said, eyeing the jewel. He knew such a precious thing could fetch a great price. The person who had lost it, he thought, would probably give a lot to get it back. But, despite its beauty and value, the jewel was of no use to him.

The Rooster looked at the jewel one last time before going back to his task. Even if the jewel was worth a fortune, to him, a single grain of barleycorn held more value. That was the food for his family, the source of their survival. And with that, the Rooster returned to his scratching and scraping, leaving the priceless jewel behind.

On a quiet farm, there lived a rooster. Every day, he worked hard, scratching the ground to find food for his family.

One sunny day, as the rooster was digging, he hit something hard with his foot. He looked down and saw something shiny in the dirt. With a flap of his wings, he cleaned the dirt away and found a bright jewel.

The rooster tilted his head and looked closely at the gem. It was beautiful, shining in the sunlight. Someone must have lost it, and it was probably very important to them.

“Aha,” said the rooster, staring at the jewel. He knew it was valuable and could be sold for a lot of money. But even though it was beautiful, the jewel was useless to him.

The rooster looked at it one more time, then went back to his work. Even if the jewel was worth a lot, a grain of barley was more important to him. It was the food his family needed to survive. So, the rooster left the jewel behind and kept scratching the ground.

On a farm, there is a rooster. Every day, the rooster looks for food. He scratches the ground with his feet.

One day, the rooster finds something shiny in the dirt. He looks at it closely. It is a shiny stone. The stone is very bright in the sunlight.

The rooster looks at the stone and thinks, "This is very beautiful, but I cannot eat it."

The rooster then leaves the stone and continues to scratch the ground. He wants to find food for his family.

For the rooster, food is more important than the shiny stone.

On a quiet farm, there lived a rooster. Every day, he worked hard, scratching the ground to find food for his family.

One sunny day, as the rooster was digging, he hit something hard with his foot. He looked down and saw something shiny in the dirt. With a flap of his wings, he cleaned the dirt away and found a bright jewel.

The rooster tilted his head and looked closely at the gem. It was beautiful, shining in the sunlight. Someone must have lost it, and it was probably very important to them.

“Aha,” said the rooster, staring at the jewel. He knew it was valuable and could be sold for a lot of money. But even though it was beautiful, the jewel was useless to him.

The rooster looked at it one more time, then went back to his work. Even if the jewel was worth a lot, a grain of barley was more important to him. It was the food his family needed to survive. So, the rooster left the jewel behind and kept scratching the ground.

Once upon a time in a super quiet farm, there was a Rooster who was as busy as, well, a very busy bird. He spent all day doing the chicken cha-cha, scratchin' and scrapin' the ground like it was going out of style. "Ah, the glamorous life of a farm animal," he"d chuckle to himself. "But hey, a bird"s gotta eat, right?"

Then, on one particularly sunny day, this Cock felt something under his foot that wasn't squishy like mud or wiggly like a worm. "What's this, a buried treasure?" He gave a powerful flap of his wings, like a superhero taking off, and—voilà!—he uncovered a super-shiny jewel.

Now, this jewel was sparkling like a star in the sky. The Rooster tilted his head from side to side, staring at it with fascination. "Wow, someone's missing their bling-bling!"

He knew that the jewel could probably be swapped for lots and lots of goodies. "Someone might trade a mountain of corn for this!" he thought. But then he paused and gave his feathered head a scratch.

"Pretty? Yes. Tasty? No. Can I feed it to the family? Nope!"

He looked at the jewel one more time, then shrugged. "Well, you may be the shiniest thing I've ever seen, but you're no match for a simple grain of barleycorn. That's the stuff that fills our tummies!"

So, like the smart and funny bird he was, the Cock covered the jewel back up with dirt and went back to his main gig—searching for food. Because when it comes down to it, the real treasures aren’t always the ones that sparkle; they’re the simple things that keep you and your family chirpy and happy.

Once on a bustling farm so grand,
A diligent Rooster roamed the land.
Scratching here, scraping there,
Seeking food with utmost care.

Sunbeams danced, the day was new,
When his feet struck something blue.
Beneath the dirt, shining so fine,
Lay a jewel with a dazzling shine.

He looked at the gleam, a sight so rare,
A lost treasure from someone, somewhere.
Though it sparkled, bright and nice,
To the Rooster, it didn't entice.

While the world may see its worth soar,
To the Rooster, a barleycorn meant more.
For gems can't feed or keep kin snug,
So he resumed, with a contented shrug.

Left the jewel where it lay,
And continued his work without delay.
For to him, clear as daylight's beam,
Family's need surpassed a dream.

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Word Finder

  1. Rooster:

    Male chicken known for crowing loudly.

  2. Scratching:

    Using claws to dig or scrape surface.

  3. Shiny:

    Reflecting light brightly, smooth and gleaming.

  4. Flap:

    Quick movement of wings or something similar.

  5. Jewel:

    Precious stone, often used in jewelry.

  6. Tilted:

    Moved or leaned slightly to one side.

  7. Gem:

    Another word for a precious stone, like jewel.

  8. Valuable:

    Worth a lot of money or very important.

  9. Grain:

    Small seed, often used for food, like barley.

  10. Survive:

    Continue living, especially through difficulties.

Understanding Questions

  1. What did the rooster find while digging on the farm?
  2. How did the rooster react when he first saw the shiny object?
  3. Why did the rooster decide to leave the jewel behind?
  4. What was more important to the rooster than the valuable jewel?
  5. What does the rooster do after finding the jewel and deciding it wasn't useful to him?
Word Finder
  1. Rooster:

    A male chicken that lives on a farm.

  2. Scratches:

    Moves feet to make marks on the ground.

  3. Shiny:

    Something that looks very bright and reflects light.

  4. Ground:

    The soil or surface we walk on.

  5. Closely:

    Looking at something very carefully and attentively.

  6. Stone:

    A small, hard object from the ground.

  7. Sunlight:

    Light that comes from the sun during the day.

  8. Beautiful:

    Something that looks really nice or pretty.

  9. Continues:

    To keep doing something without stopping.

  10. Important:

    Something that matters a lot to someone.

  1. Rooster:

    Male chicken known for crowing loudly.

  2. Scratching:

    Using claws to dig or scrape surface.

  3. Shiny:

    Reflecting light brightly, smooth and gleaming.

  4. Flap:

    Quick movement of wings or something similar.

  5. Jewel:

    Precious stone, often used in jewelry.

  6. Tilted:

    Moved or leaned slightly to one side.

  7. Gem:

    Another word for a precious stone, like jewel.

  8. Valuable:

    Worth a lot of money or very important.

  9. Grain:

    Small seed, often used for food, like barley.

  10. Survive:

    Continue living, especially through difficulties.

Understanding Questions
  1. What does the rooster do every day?

    1. Sleep
    2. Fly
    3. Look for food
    4. Sing
  2. What does the rooster find in the dirt one day?

    1. A coin
    2. A shiny stone
    3. A worm
    4. A feather
  3. How does the rooster feel about the shiny stone?

    1. He can eat it.
    2. It is beautiful.
    3. It is dirty.
    4. He wants to keep it.
  4. Why does the rooster leave the shiny stone?

    1. He wants to find food.
    2. He does not like it.
    3. He is afraid of it.
    4. It is broken.
  5. What is more important to the rooster than the shiny stone?

    1. Water
    2. Food
    3. The sun
    4. A new nest
  1. What did the rooster find while digging on the farm?
  2. How did the rooster react when he first saw the shiny object?
  3. Why did the rooster decide to leave the jewel behind?
  4. What was more important to the rooster than the valuable jewel?
  5. What does the rooster do after finding the jewel and deciding it wasn't useful to him?
  1. What did the Rooster find while scratching the ground, and how did he discover it?
  2. Why did the Rooster consider the jewel to be of no use to him, despite its value?
  3. How does the Rooster's decision to leave the jewel behind reflect his priorities in life?
  4. What can be inferred about the importance of the Rooster's family from his actions in the story?
  5. How does the difference between the jewel and the grain of barleycorn highlight what the Rooster values the most?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the Rooster decided not to keep the shiny jewel?
  2. How does the Rooster's choice help us understand what is truly valuable to him?
  3. Can you think of a time when something valuable to others didn't seem as important to you?
  4. What does this story teach us about knowing what is really important in our own lives?
  5. Can you give an example of something that is more valuable to you than a shiny jewel, and explain why?
Fable Quotes
The real value of a thing is measured not by its glitter but by its usefulness.
Being content comes not from abundance, but from appreciating the necessary.
What glitters isn't always gold; true wisdom knows where true value lies.
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