Year 3 English: Themes and traditional tales: fables, myths and legends
Part of the Year 3 English reading fiction chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Themes and traditional tales: fables, myths and legends
A traditional tale is an old story that has been told for many years. A fable is a short tale with animals who talk, and it ends with a moral, which is a lesson. A myth is an old story that explains something in nature, such as why the sun moves across the sky. A legend is an old story about a hero or a real place.
A theme is the big idea that a story is about. A convention is a feature that many stories of one kind share, such as Once upon a time, or animals that talk in a fable.
Read this traditional tale. Then answer the questions in exercise 7F.
The Tortoise and the Hare
Once upon a time, a hare boasted to everyone that he was the fastest animal in the forest. One day, a slow tortoise said, 'I will race you to the big oak tree.' The hare laughed loudly and set off at great speed. Halfway there, he was so sure of winning that he lay down for a nap. The tortoise did not stop. He kept walking, step by step, until he reached the oak tree. When the hare woke, he raced to the tree, but the tortoise had already arrived. Everyone in the forest cheered for the tortoise. The hare learned that boasting and carelessness can lose a race.
Key ideas
- A fable is a short tale with animals who talk, and it has a moral (a lesson).
- A myth explains something in nature. A legend is about a hero or a real place.
- A fairy tale often begins with Once upon a time and may end happily ever after.
- The theme is the big idea, and it can be stated in your own words.
- Retell a tale in your own words, by its main events, in the right order.
(a) animals who talk and a lesson at the end (b) a school trip (c) a list of facts
Method. Think about what a fable is.
- Check option (a). A fable has animals who talk, and it ends with a moral.(a) animals who talk and a lesson
- Check the other options. A school trip and a list of facts do not belong to a fable.(b) and (c) do not fit
- Write the answer. (a) animals who talk and a lesson at the end
Check. The animals and the moral are the conventions of a fable. ✓
Method. Look at what the fox does, and what it leads to.
- Read what the character does and says. Actions and words are clues to how a character feels or what they want.grabbed all the grapes / ate until he was sick
- Put the clues together. Clues that point the same way make a good inference. Always give the evidence.
- Write the answer. Being greedy can make you lose out.
Check. The fox's greed leads to a bad result, so that is the theme. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: Greed does not pay; sharing is better.
(a) a story that explains why the sea is salty (b) a report on the weather (c) a shopping list
Method. A myth is an old story that explains something in nature.
- Find the story that explains something. A myth explains a natural thing with an old story.(a) explains why the sea is salty
- Check the others. A report and a shopping list do not explain anything in nature.(b) and (c) do not fit
- Write the answer. (a) a story that explains why the sea is salty
Check. The myth explains something in nature with a story. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a fable is not a true story about real animals. Its animals talk because it is a traditional tale. The moral is the lesson, which is not always the same as the theme. Write the theme in your own words.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Retell a tale aloud together, in your own words. Take turns: one of you tells the first part, and the other tells the next part. Then ask: what is the lesson? Is it the same lesson a friend would give?
Exercise 7F Practice: traditional tales, themes and retelling
Method. Find the question word: what. Look for the boast.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: what.what
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:the fastest animal in the forest
- Write the answer. being the fastest animal in the forest
Check. The text says: "the fastest animal in the forest". ✓
Method. Look at the first words of the tale.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: convention.convention
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:Once upon a time
- Write the answer. Once upon a time
Check. Copy it exactly. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: Once upon a time, a hare.
Method. Find the question word: why. Look for the reason in the middle of the tale.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: why.why
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:so sure of winning
- Write the answer. He was so sure of winning.
Check. The text says: "so sure of winning". ✓
Method. Find the question word: what. Look for what the tortoise did.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: what.what
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:He kept walking, step by step
- Write the answer. He kept walking, step by step.
Check. The text says: "He kept walking, step by step". ✓
Method. Think about the features: animals who talk, and a moral.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: convention.convention
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:a slow tortoise said
- Write the answer. a fable
Check. Talking animals and a moral show it is a fable. ✓
Method. Find the sentence that starts with The hare learned.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: what the hare learned.what the hare learned
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:The hare learned that boasting and carelessness can lose a race.
- Write the answer. The hare learned that boasting and carelessness can lose a race.
Check. Copy it exactly. ✓
Method. Find the question word: who. Look near the end of the tale.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us which sentence to read: who.who
- Find the sentence that gives the answer. The text says:Everyone in the forest cheered for the tortoise
- Write the answer. Everyone in the forest
Check. The text says: "Everyone in the forest cheered for the tortoise". ✓
Method. Keep the main events in the right order, and use your own words.
- Find the main events. The hare boasts, and a tortoise challenges him to a race.Once upon a time, a hare boasted to everyone
- Retell them in your own words. Use your own words, but keep the same events in the same order.A hare boasted that he was the fastest animal. One day, a tortoise challenged him to a race.
- Write the answer. A hare boasted that he was the fastest animal. One day, a tortoise challenged him to a race.
Check. Your retelling should keep the boast and the challenge, in order. ✓
Watch out. Also accept any retelling that keeps the boast and the race in the right order.
Method. Look for the natural thing the story explains.
- Find the natural thing. The story is about the sun crossing the sky.the sun across the sky
- Say what the myth explains. The golden bird is the reason the sun moves across the sky.why the sun moves
- Write the answer. why the sun moves across the sky
Check. The sun moves across the sky each night in the myth. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: why the sun moves across the sky at night.
Method. Think about how many fairy tales end.
- Look at the words happily ever after. These words tell us the story ends happily.happily ever after
- Name the ending. A fairy tale usually ends with a happy ending.a happy ending
- Write the answer. a happy ending
Check. Happily ever after means a happy ending. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: a happy ending for the main character.
Method. A theme is the big idea. Find the sentence that states it.
- Find the theme. The lesson is that careful, steady effort can beat careless pride.slow and steady
- Copy the evidence. The text states the lesson in one sentence.The hare learned that boasting and carelessness can lose a race.
- Write the answer. Slow and steady can win, or boasting can lose you a race. Evidence: The hare learned that boasting and carelessness can lose a race.
Check. The evidence sentence is in the text. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: Do not boast or be careless; steady effort can win.