The Core Knowledge Language Arts Program

Listening & Learning Strand

Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology

Fables and Stories

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Core Knowledge Language Arts Program
Fables and Stories
Introduction to Fables and Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Lesson 1

The Boy Who Cried Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Lesson 2

The Maid and the Milk Pail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Lesson 3

The Goose and the Golden Eggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Lesson 4

The Dog in the Manger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Lesson 5

The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Lesson 6

The Fox and the Grapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Pausing Point 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Lesson 7

The Little Half-Chick (Medio-Pollito) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Lesson 8

It Could Always Be Worse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Lesson 9

The Tale of Peter Rabbit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Lesson 10

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Lesson 11

The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit: Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit,

Brer Bear, and the Peanut Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Lesson 12

The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit: Brer Fox Goes Hunting . . . .114

Pausing Point 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Domain Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Appendix

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

Fables and Stories | Introduction

iii

Introduction to
Fables and Stories
This introduction includes the necessary background information
to be used in teaching the Fables and Stories domain. The Tell
It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Fables and Stories contains
twelve daily lessons, each of which is composed of two distinct
parts, so that the lesson may be divided into smaller chunks of
time and presented at different intervals during the day. The entire
lesson will require a total of sixty minutes.
In this domain, we have used actual trade books as the readalouds in Lessons 78 and 1012. We have included page
references as well as the end of the applicable sentence from the
trade book in bold as the cue for when to use the Guided Listening
Support prompts. In these cases, we especially recommend that
you take a few minutes to see how the material is organized prior
to your presentation of the read-aloud.
We have included two Pausing Points in this domain: one after
Lesson 6 at the end of the fables section, and another after
Lesson 12 at the end of the stories section. You may wish to pause
and spend one to two days reviewing, reinforcing, or extending the
material taught prior to each of the two Pausing Points. You should
spend no more than sixteen days total on this domain.
Along with this anthology, you will need:
Tell It Again! Media Disk or the Tell It Again! Flip Book for Fables
and Stories
Tell It Again! Image Cards for Fables and Stories
Tell It Again! Workbook for Fables and Stories
Tell It Again! Posters for Fables and Stories

iv Fables and Stories | Introduction

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

The following trade books are used as read-alouds:

Seor Cat's Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin
America, by Lucia M. Gonzalez (Scholastic, 2001) ISBN
0439278638 (Lesson 7)
It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale, by Margot
Zemach (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990) ISBN 0374436360
(Lesson 8)
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, retold by Eric A. Kimmel
(Holiday House, 1990) ISBN 0823407989 (Lesson 10)
The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit, by Joel Chandler Harris
(Running Press Kids, 2008) ISBN 0762432196 (Lessons 11 and
12)
You will find the Instructional Objectives and Core Vocabulary
for this domain below. The lessons that include Student Choice/
Domain-Related Trade Book Extensions, Image Cards, Posters,
Parent Letters, Instructional Masters, and Assessments are also
listed in the information below.

Why Fables and Stories Are Important

This domain will introduce your students to fables and stories
that have delighted generations. By listening to these classics,
students will increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension
skills, learn valuable lessons about ethics and behavior, become
familiar with the key elements and parts of a story, and acquire
cultural literacy. For example, a student who has listened to The
Wolf in Sheeps Clothing in this grade will be prepared to later
understand a newspaper writer who characterizes a corrupt
politician as a wolf in sheeps clothing.
In the first six read-alouds of the anthology, your students will
listen to some well-known fables, which are special types of fiction
that teach morals or important lessons. Listening to fables such
as The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Goose and the Golden Eggs,
and The Fox and the Grapes will help students learn the elements
of this genre. In the last six read-alouds, they will be introduced
to classic folktales, such as Medio-Pollito (The Little Half-Chick)
and It Could Always Be Worse, and will develop an understanding

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Fables and Stories | Introduction

of different types of fiction. Reading these fables and stories will

help first-grade students develop a strong foundation for the
understanding and enjoyment of fiction.

What Students Have Already Learned in Core Knowledge

Language Arts During Kindergarten
The following kindergarten domains are particularly relevant to the
read-alouds your students will hear in Fables and Stories:
Nursery Rhymes and Fables
Stories
Listed below are the specific kindergarten content objectives
that your students targeted in these domains. This background
knowledge will greatly enhance your students understanding of
the read-alouds they are about to enjoy.
Students will:
Demonstrate familiarity with nursery rhymes and fables
Describe the characters and events in nursery rhymes and
fables
Explain that fables teach a lesson that is stated as the moral of
the story
Identify the moral of fables
Explain how animals often act as people in fables
(personification)
Listen to and then demonstrate familiarity with stories, including
the ideas they express
Explain that fiction can be in many different forms, including
folktales, trickster tales, and tall tales
Identify the setting of a given story
Identify the characters of a given story
Identify the plot of a given story

vi Fables and Stories | Introduction

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Instructional Objectives for Fables and Stories

The following chart contains all of the Core Content Objectives
and Language Arts Objectives for this domain, broken down by
lesson.

Fables and Stories Overview

Objectives

Lessons
5
6
7
8

10 11 12

Core Content
Demonstrate familiarity with particular fables and stories
Identify characteristics of fables: short, moral,
personification
Explain in their own words the moral of a particular fable
Identify character, plot, and setting as basic story
elements
Describe the characters, plot, and setting of a given fable
or story
Identify that fables and folktales as two types of fiction

Language Arts
Use agreed-upon rules for group discussions . . . (L.1.1)
Ask questions to clarify . . . classroom routines (L.1.2)
Carry on and participate in a conversation . . . (L.1.3)
Identify and express physical sensations . . . (L.1.4)
Follow multi-step, oral directions (L.1.5)

Learn common sayings and phrases such as Wolf in

sheeps clothing, Sour grapes, and Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you (L.1.9)

Prior to listening to a read-aloud, identify (orally or in

writing) what they know and have learned that may be
related . . . (L.1.10)
Listen to and understand a variety of texts . . . (L.1.11)
Make predictions (orally or in writing) prior to and during a
read-aloud . . . (L.1.12)
Describe illustrations (orally or in writing) (L.1.13)
Use pictures accompanying the read-aloud to check and
support understanding . . . (L.1.14)
Learn new words from read-alouds and discussions
(L.1.15)
Learn synonyms and antonyms (L.1.16)

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Fables and Stories | Introduction

vii

Objectives

Lessons
5
6
7
8

10 11 12

Language Arts
Answer questions (orally or in writing) requiring literal recall
and understanding of the details and/or facts of a readaloud. . . (L.1.17)

Ask questions to clarify information or the topic in a readaloud (L.1.18)

Use narrative language to describe (orally or in writing)

characters, a setting, facts, or events in a read-aloud
(L.1.19)

Evaluate and select read-alouds, books, or poems on the

basis of personal choice for rereading (L.1.27)

Rehearse and perform poems, stories, and plays for an

audience using eye contact, appropriate volume, and clear
enunciation (L.1.28)

Answer questions (orally or in writing) that require making

interpretations, judgments, or giving opinions . . . (L.1.20)
Compare and contrast (orally or in writing) similarities and
differences . . . (L.1.21)
Make personal connections (orally or in writing) . . .
(L.1.22)
Draw pictures, dictate, or write simple sentences to
represent details or information from a read-aloud (L.1.24)
Distinguish fantasy from realistic text (L.1.25)

Share writing with others (L.1.29)

Retell (orally or in writing) a read-aloud, including
characters, setting, plot, and events of the story in proper
sequence (L.1.30)
Demonstrate understanding (orally or in writing) of literary
language . . . (L.1.32)
Change some story events and provide a different story
ending (orally or in writing) (L.1.33)

Create, tell, and/or draw and write an original story with

characters . . . (L.1.34)

Core Vocabulary for Fables and Stories

The following list contains all of the boldfaced words in Fables and
Stories in the forms in which they appear in the text. The inclusion
of the words on this list does not mean that students are expected
to immediately be able to use all of these words on their own.
However, through repeated exposure throughout the lessons, they
should acquire a good understanding of most of these words and
begin to use some of them in conversation.

viii Fables and Stories | Introduction

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 2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Lesson 1

Lesson 5

Lesson 9

company

disguise

exert

prank

fleece

mischief

shepherd

flock

naughty

startled

pretend

sobs

tended

prowled

thief

Lesson 2

Lesson 6

Lesson 10

balanced

bunch

satised

jealous

juicy

shy

milkmaid

lunged

wicked

plumpest

pluck

yams

Lesson 3

ripe

Lesson 11

delight

Lesson 7

envious

golden

brook

furious

goose

lack

lumbering

greedy

waste

obliged

handsome sum

whim

ripen

Lesson 4

Lesson 8

Lesson 12

budge

advice

appreciate

manger

misfortune

encounters

oxen

quarreling

game

plow

rabbi

mess

stingy

unfortunate

sense

Fables and Stories | Introduction

ix

Student Choice and Domain-Related Trade Book Extensions

In the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Fables and Stories,
Student Choice activities are suggested in Lessons 5B and 12B.
Domain-Related Trade Book activities are also suggested in
Lessons 5B and 12B. A list of recommended titles is included at
the end of this introduction, or you may select another title of your
choice.

Fables and Stories Image Cards

There are thirteen Image Cards for Fables and Stories. The Image
Cards include illustrations from the read-alouds that may be used
to sequence and retell the story as well as to enhance factual
knowledge required for the understanding of a fable. In the Tell It
Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Fables and Stories, Image Cards
are referenced in the Pausing Points and in Lesson 3.

Fables and Stories Posters

There are six Posters for Fables and Stories. The Posters may be
used to give students visuals of the six fables, as well as of two of
the sayings and phrases.

Instructional Masters and Parent Take-Home Letters

Blackline Instructional Masters and Parent Take-Home Letters are
included in the Tell It Again! Workbook.
In the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Fables and Stories,
Instructional Masters are referenced in the Domain Assessment,
Pausing Points, and in the following lessons: 2B and 6B. The
Parent Letters are referenced in the following lessons: 1B and 7B.

Assessments
In the Tell It Again! Read-Aloud Anthology for Fables and Stories,
Instructional Masters 6B-1 and DA-1 are used for this purpose.
Use the following Tens Conversion Chart to convert a raw score on
each assessment into a Tens score.

x Fables and Stories | Introduction

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Tens Conversion Chart

Number of Questions

Number Correct
2

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

11

10

12

13

10

14

10

15

10

16

10

17

10

18

10

19

10

20

10 10

21

10 10

22

10 10

23

10 10

24

10 10

25

10 10

26

10 10

27

10 10

28

10 10

29

10 10

30

10
10

10

10 10

Simply find the number of correct answers the student produced

along the top of the chart and the number of total questions on the
worksheet or activity along the left side. Then find the cell where
the column and the row converge. This indicates the Tens score.
By using the Tens Conversion Chart, you can easily convert any
raw score, from 0 to 30, into a Tens score. You may choose to use
the Tens Recording Chart which is at the end of the appendix.

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Fables and Stories | Introduction

xi

Recommended Trade Books for Fables and Stories

If you recommend that parents read aloud with their child each
night, you may wish to suggest that they choose titles from this
trade book list to reinforce the domain concepts.

Used as a Domain Read-Aloud

1.

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock, retold by Eric A. Kimmel

(Holiday House, 1990) ISBN 0823407989

2.

The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit, by Joel Chandler Harris

(Running Press Kids, 2008) ISBN 0762432196

3.

It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale, by Margot

Zemach (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990) ISBN 0374436360

4.

Seor Cats Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin

America, by Lucia M. Gonzalez (Scholastic, 2001) ISBN
0439278638

Supplementary Stories and Other Versions of Stories

in the Domain
5.

Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, by Gerald

McDermott (Henry Holt, 1972) ISBN 080500310X

6.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf, by B.G. Hennessy and illustrated by

Boris Kulikov (Simon and Schuster, 2006) ISBN 0689874332

7.

The Classic Treasury of Aesops Fables (Childrens Illustrated

Classics), by Don Daily (Courage, 1999) ISBN 0762404132

8.

The Crow and the Pitcher, retold by Stephanie Gwyn Brown

(Tricycle Press, 2003) ISBN 1582460876

9.

The Hare and the Tortoise, by Helen Ward (Millbrook Press,

1999) ISBN 0761309888

10. The House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne (Dutton Childrens

Books, 1998) ISBN 0525444440
11. Peter Rabbits Giant Storybook (World of Peter Rabbit and
Friends), by Beatrix Potter (Warne, 2000) ISBN 0723245835
12. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter and illustrated by
Michael Hague (Chronicle Books, 2005) ISBN 0811849067

xii Fables and Stories | Introduction

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The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Lesson Objectives
Core Content Objectives
Students will:
Demonstrate familiarity with The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Identify character, plot, and setting as basic story elements
Describe the characters, plot, and setting of The Tale of Peter
Rabbit
Identify fables and folktales as two types of fiction

Language Arts Objectives

Students will:
Use agreed-upon rules for group discussions, i.e., look at
and listen to the speaker, raise hand to speak, take turns, say
excuse me or please, etc. (L.1.1)
Carry on and participate in a conversation over at least six
turns, staying on topic, initiating comments or responding to a
partners comments, with either an adult or another child of the
same age (L.1.3)
Listen to and understand a variety of texts, including fictional
stories, fairy tales, fables, historical narratives, informational
text, nursery rhymes, and poems (L.1.11)
Make predictions (orally or in writing) prior to and during a readaloud, based on the title, pictures, and/or text heard thus far,
and then compare the actual outcomes to predictions (L.1.12)
Use pictures accompanying the read-aloud to check and
support understanding of the read-aloud (L.1.14)

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Fables and Stories 9 | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

79

 Learn new words from read-alouds and discussions (L.1.15)

Answer questions (orally or in writing) requiring literal recall and
understanding of the details, and/or facts of a read-aloud, i.e.,
who, what, where, when, etc. (L.1.17)
Answer questions that require making interpretations,
judgments, or giving opinions about what is heard in a readaloud, including answering why questions that require
recognizing cause/effect relationships (L.1.20)
Create, tell, and/or draw and write an original story with
characters, a beginning, middle, and an end (L.1.34)

Core Vocabulary
exert, v. To do something or apply oneself with a lot of effort
Example: The runner thought, If I exert myself, I can make it to the
finish line.

Variation(s): exerts, exerted, exerting

mischief, n. Behavior that can be annoying or cause small problems
Example: Mrs. Rabbit told her little rabbits not to get into mischief while
she was away.

Variation(s): none
naughty, adj. Bad; mischievous; misbehaving
Example: Sam did a naughty thing and put worms in his sisters shoes.

Variation(s): naughtier, naughtiest

sobs, n. The sound of someone crying very hard
Example: I could hear the sobs of the little boy who was looking for his
lost dog.
Variation(s): sob
thief, n. Someone who steals
Example: The police officers caught the jewelry thief.
Variation(s): thieves

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Fables and Stories 9 | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

At a Glance

Exercise

Materials

Minutes

What Have We Already

Learned?

Introducing the Read-Aloud

10

Making Predictions About the

Read-Aloud
Purpose for Listening

Presenting the Read-Aloud

Discussing the Read-Aloud

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

15

Comprehension Questions

10

Word Work: Mischief

Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

Extensions

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Writing Another Tale About

Peter Rabbit

chart paper, chalkboard, or

whiteboard

20

Fables and Stories 9 | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

81

9A

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Introducing the Read-Aloud

10 minutes

What Have We Already Learned?

Begin with a brief review of The Little Half-Chick (Medio-Pollito)
and It Could Always Be Worse. Have a discussion with students
about the lessons that they heard in both folktales. Students
should be able to convey that Medio-Pollito should have been
kind and helped the water, fire, and wind. The lesson in The Little
Half-Chick (Medio-Pollito) is truly the saying Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you. Students should also be able
to recall that the unfortunate man in It Could Always Be Worse
realized that he wasnt so unfortunate when his living situation
kept getting worse. The take-away lesson is not to get so upset
when things are going badly because it could always be worse.
Ask students to listen to see if todays story has a lesson.

Making Predictions About the Read-Aloud

Share the title and author of the story along with image 9A-2 from
the Tell It Again! Flip Book. Ask the students what they see in the
illustration. Point to Peter Rabbit and explain that he is the main
character in the story.
Ask the students to share what they know about rabbits and the
kinds of things they do.
Have the students predict what kind of adventures Peter Rabbit
might have.

Purpose for Listening

Tell the students to listen carefully to find out whether or not their
predictions are correct.

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Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Presenting the Read-Aloud

15 minutes

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Show image 9A-1: The Rabbit family
Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names
wereFlopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the
root of a very big fir-tree.
Show image 9A-2: Mrs. Rabbit with her bunnies 1
1 Who are the members of the
Rabbit family?

Now, my dears, said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, you

may go into the fields or down the lane, but dont go into Mr.
McGregors garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put
in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.

Show image 9A-3: Mrs. Rabbit fastening Peters jacket

Now run along, and dont get into mischief. I am going out. 2
2 What does Mrs. Rabbit tell her
children not to do? What do you
think mischief means? If you get
into mischief, you do things that
cause problems.

Show image 9A-4: Mrs. Rabbit going out

3 Why do you think Mrs. Rabbit
bought five currant buns at the
bakers? (Have the students name
the members of the family again.)

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went
through the wood to the bakers. She bought a loaf of brown bread
and five currant buns. 3

Show image 9A-5: Good bunnies picking berries

4 Who is good and listens to their
mothers directions?

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies,

went down the lane to gather blackberries. 4

Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

83

 Show image 9A-6: Peter squeezing under the gate

5 Who is naughty or makes a bad
choice and does not listen to Mrs.
Rabbits directions? What do you
think will happen in Mr. McGregors
garden?

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr.
McGregors garden, and squeezed under the gate! 5

Show image 9A-7: Peter snacking 6

6 (Point to the vegetables mentioned
and pictured.)

First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he
ate some radishes;

Show image 9A-8: Peter feeling full

7 Why is Peter feeling rather sick?

and then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley. 7

Show image 9A-9: Peter sees Mr. McGregor

8 What do you think is going to
happen now that Mr. McGregor
sees Peter?

But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet

but Mr. McGregor! 8

Show image 9A-10: Peter running away

9 Do you know what a thief is? A
thief is someone who steals. Why
does Mr. McGregor call Peter a
thief? How do you think Peter
feels?

Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young
cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake
and calling out, Stop thief! 9

Show image 9A-11: Peters shoe amongst the cabbages

10 What happens to Peter because he
is so frightened or scared?

Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the

garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other
shoe amongst the potatoes. 10

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Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

 Show image 9A-12: Peter caught in the gooseberry net

11 Will Peter be able to get out of the

net?

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I
think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately
run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on
his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new. 11

Show image 9A-13: Sparrows imploring Peter

12 Sobs are the sounds sometimes
made when crying. Who hears
Peters sobs and encourages him to
exert himself or make real effort to
wriggle out of the net?

Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs
were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in
great excitement, and implored him to exert himself. 12

Show image 9A-14: Peter escaping the sieve 13

13 (Point to the sieve as you read.)
14 Is he able to escape? What does
Peter leave behind?

Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop

upon the top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving
his jacket behind him. 14

Show image 9A-15: Peter jumping into the watering can

And rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can. It would
have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much
water in it.
Show image 9A-16: Mr. McGregor searching the shed

15 Where does Peter hide from Mr.

McGregor? This works until Peter
does what?

Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the
tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to
turn them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently Peter sneezedKertyschoo! Mr. McGregor was
after him in no time. 15

Show image 9A-17: Peter jumping out the window

And tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a
window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr.
McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back
to his work.

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Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

85

 Show image 9A-18: Peter resting 16

16 That was a close call. Has Peter
gotten away from Mr. McGregor?
17 What will Peter do next?

Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with
fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was
very damp with sitting in that can.
After a time he began to wander about, going lippitylippity
not very fast, and looking all round. 17

Show image 9A-19: Peter and the old mouse

He found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no
room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath.

18 Why do you think Peter is crying

if he has gotten away from Mr.
McGregor?

An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep,
carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked
her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth
that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter
began to cry. 18

Show image 9A-20: Peter and the cat

19 Why doesnt Peter ask the cat for

help?

Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he
became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond
where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring
at some gold-fish, she sat very, very still, but now and then the
tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to
go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his
cousin, little Benjamin Bunny. 19

Show image 9A-21: Peter and Mr. McGregor

20 Will Peter be able to get out of

the gate (point to it) without Mr.
McGregor seeing him?

86

He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close

to him, he heard the noise of a hoescr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch,
scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as
nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow
and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing
onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was
the gate! 20

Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

 Show image 9A-22: Peter escaping the garden

Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started
running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some
black-currant bushes.
21 Lets give a cheer because Peter is
outside of the garden and safe.

Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did
not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in
the wood outside the garden. 21

Show image 9A-23: Scarecrow

22 Whose jacket and shoes are those?

Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a
scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds. 22

Show image 9A-24: Peter safe at home

23 Why is Peter so tired? If this is

the second little jacket and pair
of shoes that Peter has lost, do
you think Peter has gotten into
mischief before?

Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got

home to the big fir-tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand
on the floor of the rabbit-hole and shut his eyes. His mother was
busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It
was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in
a fortnight! 23

Show image 9A-25: Peter in bed 24

I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the
evening.

24 (Point out Peter in the

background.)
25 Why is Peter not feeling well? Do
you think his mother knows what
happened?

His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and
she gave a dose of it to Peter!
One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time. 25

Show image 9A-26: Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and
blackberries for supper. 26
26 Why do Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail get to have a nice dinner? Does
this story teach a lesson? Do you
think Peter learned his lesson?

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Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

87

Discussing the Read-Aloud

Comprehension Questions

15 minutes
(10 minutes)

1.

Were your predictions correct? Why or why not? (Answers

may vary.)

2.

What advice does Mrs. Rabbit give Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter at the beginning of the story? (Dont go into Mr.
McGregors garden; dont get into mischief.)

3.

Who follows Mrs. Rabbits advice? (Flopsy, Mopsy, and

Cotton-tail) Who is naughty and does not follow her advice?
(Peter) What does he do? (He goes to Mr. McGregors garden.)

4.

Why do you think Peter chooses not to follow her advice? (He
is curious, adventurous, naughty, etc.)

5.

What happens in Mr. McGregors garden? (Peter steals some

vegetables; he is seen and chased by Mr. McGregor but is
able to escape.)

6.

How do you think Peter feels when he is finally home again?

(relieved, tired, etc.)

7.

Why do you think Peter is not feeling well at the end of the
story? (He ate too much; he had a rough day, etc.)

8.

Does this story teach a lesson? (Listen to your parents.) Do

you think Peter has learned his lesson or will he get into
trouble again by not following his mothers advice? (Answers
may vary.)

I am going to ask a question. I will give you a minute to think about

the question, and then I will ask you to turn to your neighbor and
discuss the question. Finally, I will call on several of you to share
what you discussed with your partner.
9.

88

Think Pair Share: Do you think that Mrs. Rabbit will ever find
out that Peter was in Mr. McGregors garden? (Answers may
vary.)

Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Word Work: Mischief

(5 minutes)

1.

In the story, Mrs. Rabbit said, Now run along, and dont get
into mischief.

2.

Say the word mischief with me.

3.

Mischief is behavior that causes small problems.

4.

My younger sister is full of mischief; she is always thinking of

ways to annoy me.

5.

Are you full of mischief? Do you know of someone else who

is full of mischief? Can you think of any characters in stories
who are full of mischief? What kinds of mischief do they get
into? Try to use the word mischief when you tell about it. (Ask
two or three students. If necessary, guide and/or rephrase the
students responses: _____ is full of mischief because . . .)

6.

Whats the word weve been talking about?

Use a Making Choices activity for follow-up. Directions: I will

describe a situation. If what I describe is an example of mischief,
you will say, Thats mischief. If what I describe is not an example
of mischief, you will say, Thats not mischief.
1.

The girl sitting next to me pulled my hair when the teacher

wasnt looking. (Thats mischief.)

2.

I shared my crayons with my partner during art. (Thats not

mischief.)

3.

I try to always do what my parents ask me to do. (Thats not

mischief.)

4.

I hid my dads shoes that he wears to work every day. (Thats

mischief.)

5.

The boy cried Wolf when there really wasnt a wolf. (Thats
mischief.)

Complete Remainder of the Lesson Later in the Day

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation

Fables and Stories 9A | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

89

9B

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Extensions

20 minutes
Writing Another Tale About Peter Rabbit
Remind the students that the story said that when Peter got home,
his mother wondered what he had done with his clothes and that it
was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in
a fortnight (or two weeks).
Ask the students what kind of mischief Peter might have gotten
into when he lost the first jacket and pair of shoes. Brainstorm a
number of ideas. Prior to recording the students responses, point
out that you are going to write down what they say, but that they
are not expected to read what you write because they are still
learning the rules for decoding words. Emphasize that you are
writing what they say so that you dont forget, and that you will
read what has been written to them.
Tell the students that as a class you are going to write another
tale about Peter Rabbits mischief. Decide which of the ideas
brainstormed earlier will be used for the class story. If you have
students who are ready to write their own stories, they may
choose other ideas.
Use a three-circle map to brainstorm ideas for characters, setting,
and plot. Guide the students in translating these ideas into
sentences that tell a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
After the story has been written, read it to the class.
If time allows, you may have each student draw an illustration of
the new Peter Rabbit tale.

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Fables and Stories 9B | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

2010 Core Knowledge Foundation