School Radio Aesop’s Fables Age 5 - 9 Aesop’s Fables online: Credits: Further information about these Stories adapted by: Nicky Grischotti, resources is available at the School Tracey Hammett, Rob John, Sharri Radio website. Log on to: McGarry, Lavinia Murray, Jan Payne, Tony Payne, Sue Reid and Kate Stonham www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio Stories read by: Brenda Blethyn, Richard and follow the links to Aesop’s fables. Briers, Lindsay Duncan, Richard E Grant, Jane Horrocks, Jonathan Pryce, and Alison You’ll fi nd a transcript of each story, Steadman notes to accompany each story and an image to display. Teacher’s Notes: Louise Glasspoole Producer: Mark Macey Editor: Andrew Barnes School Radio www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio © BBC 2012 School Radio Aesop’s Fables Contents: 19: The Fox and the Goat 24 Introduction 2 20: The Lion and the Elephant 25 Assessment focuses 3 21: The Crow and the Pitcher 26 Primary literacy framework links 7 22: The Fox and the Stork 26 Drama techniques 8 23: Two Travellers and a Bear 27 Generic activites for use with fables 9 24: The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs 28 1: The Hare and the Tortoise 11 25: The Kid and the Wolf 29 2: The Frogs and the Ox 12 26: The Old Lion and the Fox 29 3: The Fox and the Crow 13 27: The Eagle and the Jackdaw 30 4: The Monkey as King 14 28: The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing 31 5: The Bundle of Sticks 14 29: The Goatherd and the Wild Goats 32 6: The Gnat and the Lion 15 30: The Dog in the Manger 33 7: The North Wind and the Sun 16 31: Androcles and the Lion 33 8: The Fox and the Grapes 16 32: The Dog and his Refl ection 34 9: The Dog, the Cockerel and the Fox 17 33: The Heron and the Fish 35 10: The Miller, his Son and the Donkey 18 34: The Eagle and the Tortoise 36 11: The Wolf and the Heron 19 35: Town Mouse and Country Mouse 36 12: The Donkey in the Lion’s Skin 19 36: Belling the Cat 37 13: The Ant and the Grasshopper 20 37: The Too Fat Fox 38 14: Should this be The Vain Jackdaw? 21 38: The Rat and the Elephant 39 15: The Frogs who wanted a King 22 39: The Ant and the Dove 39 16: The Cat and the Mice 22 40: The Boy Who Cried Wolf 40 17:The Lion and the Mouse 23 18: The Caged Bird and the Bat 24 1 School Radio www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio © BBC 2012 School Radio Aesop’s Fables Introduction Plot and structure: Aesop c. 620-564 BC Plot is overtly fi ctitious as the point of the story is its message, rather than an attempt Aesop was a writer from Ancient Greece, who to convince the reader of a real setting or is thought to have lived around 600 years BC, characters. There is a shared understanding and is credited with having written a number between storyteller and audience that the of well-known fables. Accounts of his life events told did not actually happen. They are often refer to him having been a slave, who used as a means to an end, a narrative meta- gains his freedom through the strength of the phor for the ethical truth being promoted. advice he gives to his masters. For this reason, fables do not carry any non- However, it is not certain whether he actually essential narrative baggage. There are usually existed at all, or whether he is simply a few characters and often only two who are legendary fi gure to whom a group of themati- portrayed as simple stereotypes rather than cally similar folk tales were attributed. Some multidimensional heroes or villains. Narrative of the tales are known to have been told structure is short (sometimes just a few sen- before Aesop is thought to have lived, whilst tences) and simple and there is limited use of others are not recorded until many years description. Action and dialogue are used to after his supposed death. move the story on because the all-important moral is most clearly evident in what the The fables generally communicate some kind main characters do and say. of moral message, often through the depic- tion of animals, who speak or otherwise take Character: on human characteristics. The main characters are often named in The features of fables the title (The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, The North Wind and the Sun, etc) Theme: and they are also frequently animals, another subtle way of signalling the fi ctional, ‘fabu- Although they use many of the typical lous’ nature of the story and its serious pur- themes, characters and settings of traditional pose. Animal characters speak and behave stories, fables have a very specifi c purpose like human beings, allowing the storyteller to that strongly infl uences their content. A make cautionary points about human behav- fable sets out to teach the reader or listener a iour without pointing the fi nger at real people. lesson they should learn about life. The nar- rative drives towards the closing moral state- Style: ment, the fable’s theme: the early bird gets the worm, where there’s a will there’s a way, Many fables use the rich vocabulary, imagery work hard and always plan ahead for lean and patterned language common in traditional times, charity is a virtue. The clear presence tales but generally speaking, the shorter the of a moral distinguishes fables from other folk fable, the more simple its use of language. In tales. these short texts, use of vocabulary is often pared down and concise. 2 School Radio www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio © BBC 2012 School Radio Aesop’s Fables Fables tend to use: Use connectives when characters talk to one • formulaic beginnings that establish setting another to explain or show cause and effect and character very quickly - e.g. ‘One day - e.g. ‘ “If you will give me your hand, I will a farmer was going to market...’ ‘A hun- help you over the river,” said the Wolf.’ Or ‘ “I gry fox was sitting by the roadside...’ ‘In a can’t possibly eat you because I’m a vegetar- fi eld, one spring morning...’ ian,” lied the bear.’ • connectives to explain or show cause and effect - e.g. ‘If you will give me...’ ‘So the Connectives are used to show the reader wolf...’ quickly and easily when things happen and • temporal connectives that hold the narra- how time passes - e.g ‘One morning...as he tive together and give it a chronological was...fi rst he saw...then he saw...’ or ‘When shape - e.g. ‘One morning...as he was... winter came...’ or ‘And then the grasshopper fi rst he saw...then he saw...’ ‘When winter understood...’ came...’ ‘And then the grasshopper under- stood...’ Use questions when one character introduces • simple dialogue between two main char- themself to another - e.g ‘Why do you howl acters, often questions and answers - e.g. so loudly?’ or ‘What are you writing so busily ‘Why do you howl so loudly?’; or state- in your book, little bird?’ ments that refl ect on a situation - e.g. ‘You seem to have a wonderful life here in the Assessment focuses for speaking and town.’ ‘My feathers may not be beautiful listening Levels 1-5, selected for rel- but they keep me warm in winter.’ evance to the texts: Tips for writing your own fables: AF3 – Talking within role-play and drama Create and sustain different roles and sce- Create characters that are simple stereotypes narios, adapting techniques in a range of rather than multidimensional heroes or vil- dramatic activities to explore texts, ideas and lains. Make the main characters animals, and issues. have them behave like human stereotypes: a brave little ant, a wise old turtle, a cunning Level 1 fox, a lazy donkey. In some contexts • engage in imaginative play enacting sim- Use the names of the main characters to give ple characters and situations using every- the fable a title: The Ant and the Elephant. day speech, gesture, or movement Level 2 State the moral of the fable clearly at the In some contexts end: a wise person always plans ahead. • extend experience and ideas, adapting speech, gesture, or movement to simple Establish the setting in the fi rst line and intro- roles and different scenarios duce the main characters as soon as possible. Level 3 In most contexts Give clues to the reader about what might • show understanding of characters or situ- happen: a greedy but impatient fox was ations by adapting speech, gesture, and watching the chickens from behind a tree. movement, helping to create roles and scenarios Keep description to a minimum and use dia- Level 4 logue only to help tell what happens. • convey straightforward ideas about char- 3 School Radio www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio © BBC 2012 School Radio Aesop’s Fables acters and situations, making deliberate • comments generally supported by relevant choices of speech, gesture, and movement textual reference or quotation, even when in different roles and scenarios points made are not always accurate Level 5 • show insight into texts and issues through AF3 - deduce, infer or interpret informa- deliberate choices of speech, gesture, and tion, events or ideas from texts movement, beginning to sustain and adapt different roles and scenarios Level 1 In some reading, usually with support: AF2 – understand, describe, select or re- • reasonable inference at a basic level, e.g.