1. Sayings We Share: Proverbs and Fables
Name ______________________________
Sayings We Share: Proverbs and Fables
Compiled By Norma Tong Lee
Illustrated by Krystyna Stasiak
Prediction
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Author’s Purpose
inform persuade entertain

2. Sayings We Share Focus Skills:
To identify the problem/conflict and its resolution in a story
To read and understand proverbs and fables
To use object pronouns correctly
Genre
Fables- short stories that teach a lesson
Proverbs- sayings that give advice or teach a lesson
Summary
The sayings and fables in this selection represent oral traditions from Vietnam, Africa, ancient Greece, the United States and elsewhere. The wisdom found in this literature has survived generations, contributing to the growth and survival of cultures all over the world. Similar messages are found throughout despite their place of origination.
Reading Strategy
Make and Confirm Predictions
Good readers use story clues and what they know to make predictions. Then they read on to see if their predictions are correct.

3. Compare and contrast the first pair of proverbs.
Page
392
Compare and contrast the first pair of proverbs.
Working persistently, ants can fill the nest with food.
One beaver can fell a hundred trees.
What pair of sayings have the same message as the saying, “Choose your friends wisely”?
Why do proverbs talk about ants and beavers instead of just saying “If you work long and hard you will get a lot done”?

4. What is the meaning of “A penny saved is a penny earned”?
Page
394
Which Vietnamese proverb on pages has almost the same message as “He who lies down with dogs shall rise up with fleas”?
Which two proverbs have almost the same meaning as the proverb “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today?
What is the meaning of “A penny saved is a penny earned”?
Choose a proverb from this selection and tell how someone might use its wisdom.

5. What advice would you give to the hare if he has to run another race?
Page
396
What advice would you give to the hare if he has to run another race?
What is one situation in real life that is like the one in the story.
Page
398
How do the animals act when the rooster crows loud enough to bring the sun up?
Why isn’t the rooster sad about the farm animals’ complaining?
Page
400
What message is the author trying to get across?

6. Give an example of how you could use this moral in your life.
Page
402
Give an example of how you could use this moral in your life.
Think and Respond
How are the proverbs and fables in this selection alike?
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Why is it important to read the headings and titles on these pages?
Which of the proverbs or fables do you think teaches the most important lesson. Explain
Say this moral in your own words: Working persistently, ants can fill the nest with food.
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7. Use the graphic organizer to answer the following questions.
According to this selection, who do you learn much about life from?
What is another name for common sayings?
What are oral traditions?
Proverbs from around the world may use different words. What is the same about these proverbs?
What is the American saying that is similar to the Vietnamese proverb Even with two hands, one cannot catch two fish at one time.
What is the moral of a story?
What does the rooster teach us?
What does the proverb He who lays down with dogs shall rise up with fleas mean?
Why does the lazy mouse go hungry?
What fable is “slow and steady wins the race” the moral for?
When were Aesop’s fables written?
What type of story is this selection most like?
How are fables and proverbs alike?
How are the dog and the wolf in the French fable different?