Fables and Their Lessons

Grade 2 - Reading - On Level

NameDate

Read this first
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A shepherd boy watched his village's sheep on a quiet hillside. The days were long and boring. He had no one to talk to. One afternoon he decided to play a trick. He ran toward the village, shouting, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is attacking the sheep!"
Villagers dropped what they were doing and rushed up the hill to help. They found the sheep grazing calmly and no wolf in sight. The boy laughed at their faces. The villagers shook their heads and walked back down. A few days later, he played the same trick again. This time the villagers felt a little cross.
Again, the villagers hurried up the hill, and again they found only sheep. They were tired from climbing the hill twice.
Then a real wolf crept out of the trees. The sheep bleated in fear. The boy cried, "Wolf! Help me!" as loudly as he could. But the villagers thought it was another trick and stayed in the village. The wolf scattered the sheep, and several were lost from the flock.
What lesson does this fable teach?
- When everyone shares a little, there can be enough for everybody.
- When the easy way does not work, careful thinking can find another way.
- Once people catch you lying, they may not believe you when it matters most.
- It is wise to prepare for hard times while things are still easy.
Who is this fable mainly about?
- the villagers
- the wolf
- the village elder
- the shepherd boy
What did the shepherd boy want at the start of this fable?
- to protect the sheep from a wolf
- to find a lost sheep
- to entertain himself on a boring afternoon
- to get a prize from the village
What did the shepherd boy do about it?
- counted the sheep twice
- ran to hide in the village
- shouted a false warning about a wolf
- chased the wolf away
Why did the shepherd boy act that way?
- because the wolf was really there
- because the villagers had asked him to
- because he was afraid of being alone
- because he thought tricking the villagers would be funny
What happened as a result?
- the villagers did not come when the real wolf came
- the sheep ran back to the village
- the wolf ran away by itself
- the villagers chased the wolf away
What is different by the end of this fable?
- the villagers no longer believed him
- the villagers moved the sheep into the village
- he told even more tricks
- he stopped watching the sheep
Which sentence tells a detail from this fable?
- The boy tricked the villagers only one time.
- Villagers dropped what they were doing and rushed up the hill to help.
- The boy warned the villagers about a real fire.
- The villagers brought a net to catch the wolf.
Which sentence is NOT part of this fable?
- The wolf scattered the sheep, and several were lost from the flock.
- Villagers dropped what they were doing and rushed up the hill to help.
- A shepherd boy watched his village's sheep on a quiet hillside.
- The boy warned the villagers about a real fire.
What does the word "scattered" mean in this fable?
- spread out in different directions
- gave a share along with others
- a feeling of caring about someone's trouble
- stretched with great effort

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

A shepherd boy watched his village's sheep on a quiet hillside. The days were long and boring. He had no one to talk to. One afternoon he decided to play a trick. He ran toward the village, shouting, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is attacking the sheep!"

Villagers dropped what they were doing and rushed up the hill to help. They found the sheep grazing calmly and no wolf in sight. The boy laughed at their faces. The villagers shook their heads and walked back down. A few days later, he played the same trick again. This time the villagers felt a little cross.

Again, the villagers hurried up the hill, and again they found only sheep. They were tired from climbing the hill twice.

Then a real wolf crept out of the trees. The sheep bleated in fear. The boy cried, "Wolf! Help me!" as loudly as he could. But the villagers thought it was another trick and stayed in the village. The wolf scattered the sheep, and several were lost from the flock.