Fables
The Clever Tortoise and the Boastful Hare
One sunny morning in the jungle, Hare laughed as he watched Tortoise
struggle to carry his heavy shell. “You are the slowest creature in the forest!”
Hare boasted. “I could run to the river and back before you even take ten
steps!”
Tortoise, tired of Hare’s arrogance, calmly replied, “Speed is not everything.
Sometimes, patience and wisdom are more important.”
Hare smirked. “Let’s race! I’ll prove that speed is all that matters.”
The animals of the jungle gathered to watch. As soon as the race began, Hare
dashed ahead, leaving Tortoise far behind. Feeling overconfident, Hare
decided to rest under a shady tree. “I can take a nap,” he thought. “Tortoise
will never catch up!”
While Hare slept, Tortoise moved steadily forward, step by step. The sun was
high when Hare finally woke up. He stretched, yawned, and looked around. To
his shock, he saw Tortoise near the finish line!
Hare leaped up and ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. Tortoise
crossed the finish line just in time. The animals cheered, and Hare lowered
his ears in embarrassment.
Tortoise smiled and said, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
1) Find 3 sentences with a modal verb in the story and
rewrite it.
Answer 1:
Answer 2:
Answer 3:
2.
“I could run to the river and back before you even take ten
steps!”
What type of figurative language used in this sentence?
3. Identify an example of personification in the story.
4. What effect does giving the animals human traits have on the
reader?
5. Identify whether the following sentences are in direct or
indirect speech:
i) Hare said, “I can take a nap.” a) Identify whether the following
sentences are in direct or indirect
ii) Tortoise told Hare that speed was not everything.
a) Identify whether the following
iii) “You are the slowest creature in sentences
the are inHare
forest!” directboasted.
or indirect
a) Identify whether the following
sentences are in direct or indirect
iv) The animals cheered that Tortoise had won the race.
a) Identify whether the following
sentences are in direct or indirect
6. Rewrite the following direct speech as indirect speech:
“I will win this race easily,” said Hare.
7. Rewrite the following indirect speech as direct speech:
Tortoise said that patience and wisdom were more important
than speed.
8. Rewrite the sentence below in indirect speech, making sure
to change the tense correctly:
a) Hare said, “I am the fastest animal in the jungle.”
b) Convert the following indirect speech into direct speech:
The animals said that the race had been exciting.
9. What are 2 features of a fable?
10.
a) Find the adjective in this sentence and explain what it
describes:
Hare took a long nap under the shady tree.
b) Find the adverb in this sentence and explain what it modifies:
Tortoise moved steadily towards the finish line.