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.
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.
Audio available for B1 version
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.
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Word Finder
Rooster:
Male chicken known for crowing loudly.Scratching:
Using claws to dig or scrape surface.Shiny:
Reflecting light brightly, smooth and gleaming.Flap:
Quick movement of wings or something similar.Jewel:
Precious stone, often used in jewelry.Tilted:
Moved or leaned slightly to one side.Gem:
Another word for a precious stone, like jewel.Valuable:
Worth a lot of money or very important.Grain:
Small seed, often used for food, like barley.Survive:
Continue living, especially through difficulties.
Understanding Questions
- What did the rooster find while digging on the farm?
- How did the rooster react when he first saw the shiny object?
- Why did the rooster decide to leave the jewel behind?
- What was more important to the rooster than the valuable jewel?
- What does the rooster do after finding the jewel and deciding it wasn't useful to him?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Rooster decided not to keep the shiny jewel?
- How does the Rooster's choice help us understand what is truly valuable to him?
- Can you think of a time when something valuable to others didn't seem as important to you?
- What does this story teach us about knowing what is really important in our own lives?
- 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.