EnglishFreePrintable

Fables and Morals Unit

A free english worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Fables and Morals Unit

Read the original fable, then use evidence from its events and dialogue to answer the questions. There are no single correct answers for the interpretation and planning tasks; explain your thinking.

The Heron and the Lantern

At the edge of a wetland, a heron named Hemi watched the evening fog roll across the reeds. A narrow footbridge led to a food store on the far bank. Hemi had promised to carry a lantern across so that the smaller animals could find their way home. A clever weka called Ruru hurried up. “Give me the lantern,” she said. “I know every shortcut. I’ll be back before the moon rises.” Hemi noticed that Ruru’s feathers were dry, though rain had fallen all afternoon. He also remembered seeing her near the food store earlier. “I’ll walk with you,” Hemi replied. Ruru groaned, but she set off. At the bridge, the boards were slick. Ruru tried to dash ahead and slipped. Hemi steadied the lantern while Ruru found her footing. Together, they crossed slowly. On the far bank, Ruru admitted, “I wanted to reach the store first and keep the food for myself. I thought a quick promise would make you trust me.” Hemi lowered the lantern. “A promise matters when your actions keep it,” he said. Ruru looked at the waiting animals on the bridge. She carried the lantern back with Hemi, then helped share the food fairly. From then on, the two checked the bridge together before anyone crossed. Possible moral: Trust is earned through actions, and working together can keep everyone safer.

1.Which event first gives Hemi a reason to doubt Ruru’s promise? Choose the strongest evidence.

Ruru says she knows every shortcut.
Her feathers are dry after an afternoon of rain, and Hemi saw her near the food store.
The moon has not risen yet.
Hemi has promised to carry a lantern.

2.At the beginning, what does Ruru want the others to believe about her? Use one detail from the story to support your answer.

3.What changes Ruru’s plan at the bridge? Explain how that moment affects what happens next.

4.Which description best fits Hemi’s response to Ruru’s behaviour?

He ignores the warning signs and lets her go alone.
He notices clues, stays alongside her, and helps when she slips.
He takes the food and leaves Ruru behind.
He accuses Ruru before they reach the bridge.

5.Ruru “groaned” before they set off. What does that word suggest about her feelings at that moment?

6.The story offers this possible moral: “Trust is earned through actions, and working together can keep everyone safer.” Give one event that supports each part of this moral.

7.Is the story’s possible moral the only reasonable lesson a reader could take from it? State another lesson supported by the events, or explain why you think the given moral is the strongest.

8.This story is a fable. Name two features that make it a fable, using an example from the story for each feature.

9.Find the line of dialogue in which Ruru admits her real motive. What does this direct speech reveal that the narrator had not stated outright?

10.Imagine Ruru tells the story in first person. Write two or three sentences from her point of view as she reaches the bridge. Include what she wants and what she fears.

11.Plan a new fable with different animal characters. Give it a title, name the characters, describe their problem and solution, and write a one-sentence moral. Make sure an event in the plot demonstrates the moral.