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.
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.
Audio available for B1 version
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.
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Word Finder
Hungry
Wanting food because you haven’t eaten recently.Thick
Full of trees or plants, hard to walk through.Calm
Make someone feel peaceful and stop being upset.Perked
Quickly raised up because something caught your attention.Growled
Made a low, angry sound, usually when hungry or angry.Excited
Feeling very happy or eager about something coming.Promised
Said you would definitely do something in the future.Feast
A big, special meal with lots of food.Disappointment
Feeling sad because something didn’t happen as expected.Rumbling
A long, low sound, like when you're hungry.
Understanding Questions
- What did the mother say to calm her crying baby?
- Why did the Wolf decide to wait in the forest?
- What did the Wolf expect to receive as a reward for waiting?
- Did the Wolf get the meal he was waiting for? Why or why not?
- What did the Wolf learn from his experience in the forest?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Wolf believed what the Mother said to her baby?
- How did the Wolf feel when he realized he had been tricked?
- Can you remember a time when you believed something that wasn't true?
- What does this story teach us about being careful with what we believe or trust?
- 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.
Just One More Fable
- Forgiveness
- Empathy
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- Consequences
- Gratitude
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A majestic hart evades hunters by hiding under a plant, but is eventually discovered and harmed due to eating its leaves.
- Regret
- Loyalty
The Mongoose and the Brahmin
A Brahmin mistakenly kills his loyal mongoose, who had actually saved his child from a snake.
- Wisdom
- Deception
The Talking Cave
A mighty lion in a jungle tries to catch a clever jackal in a cave but fails due to the jackal's trickery.