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THINK ABOUT IT
This story is a fable, meaning it isStride
meantInternational SchoolRewrite it as a fairytale,
to teach a lesson.
using typical fairytale elements like magic, princes and princesses, and faraway lands.
THINK ABOUT IT
What would you do if you found a jar of coins buried in your yard? Would you have
taken it, or would you have put it back like the farmer? Write a paragraph explaining
your decision below.
THINK ABOUT IT
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How would this story be different if the rabbit had not lost his tail, and the
crocodile not lost his tongue? How would he have done it? Write a new ending to the
story below.
How would the moral of the story be different with your new ending?
THINK ABOUT IT
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Jackals are a kind of dog that are common in India, and monsoons are big storms that
happen during the late summer and fall. How would this tale be different if it were set in
another country? Choose a new location and, using what you know about local wildlife
and weather, rewrite it on the lines below.
THINK ABOUT IT
What is the theme of the story?
a. Helping others when you can.
b. Always telling the truth.
c. Playing fairly.
How do you know what the theme is? Write down three characters and the actions they take in
the story that support the theme.
CHARACTER ACTION
bracelet he prized.
He continued on for days, finding more and more scenarios. Each was more terrify-
ing than the one before, but never once did he feel fear! Finally, one day, he came into a
town. A man came rushing out at him. “The king—he’s gone!” he exclaimed. “We need a
new one right away.”
He then joined the town for their ritual. An assistant released a pigeon into the
air—whomever the pigeon landed on would be crowned king. The pigeon was
released…and landed right on him!
Suddenly, he was nervous. He thought of his future as king, of deciding the fate of
so many people. How could he, as brave as he was, be a true and just ruler for so many
strangers? He was…scared.
The assistant then released ten more pigeons, all of which landed right on him.
Having finally known fear, he agreed to be king, and ruled for many years.
THINK ABOUT IT
1. What message does this story send about being royal?
a. Being royal is easy.
b. Being royal is fun.
c. Being royal is harder than people think.
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2. How does the author think leaders should act?
a. They should be selfish and should be able to do whatever they want.
b. They should worry about the good of their subjects.
c. They should let others make decisions for them.
THINK ABOUT IT
The Monkey King is a character that shows up in several folktales in China. Using what
you know about his personality, write a new story starring the Monkey King on a separate
sheet of paper.
STOP
1. Where do you think the young man lives?
a. In a small village
b. In a big city.
c. With his parents
When he approached it, he saw Stride International
that School
it had an arrow lodged in one of its wings—a
hunting accident. Feeling sorry for the poor thing, he scooped it up in his arms and took it back
to his home, where he cleaned the wound and nursed the beautiful bird back to health. A few
days later, he sent the crane back out. As it flew away, he warned it to stay away from hunters.
The next evening, he came home to his small house, the way he always did. When he opened
the door, he was shocked to find a lovely young woman sitting at his kitchen table. “Welcome
home, husband,” she said.
“Husband? I cannot be your husband!” the sailmaker said, astonished. “I don’t know you
at all, and even if I were your husband, I cannot support you. I barely make enough money to
get by on my own.”
“Oh, do not worry about me,” she said, motioning to a small sack on the floo r. “I can
take care of myself. I brought rice with me to eat, and a loom to work on.” She got up and
began to boil a pot of water for the rice. Unsure of what else to do, the young man sat down as
his new wife prepared dinner.
STOP
2. Why didn’t the sailmaker want the woman to be his wife? (2 answers!)
a. He didn’t know her.
b. He had gotten to know her and didn’t get along with her.
c. He couldn’t support her.
Designed for the Striders of Stride International School
AS IAN M Y T HOLOGY Japan
Over time, they began to warm up to each other. She was kind and caring, and he
was a good, honest man. They treated each other with respect, which slowly turned into
love. One day, the wife asked her husband if she could have the room in the back of the
house to weave in. “I would like to begin weaving so that I can make us some more
money.” she said, and her husband agreed. “I have only one condition,” she warned.
“You must never look inside.”
She closed the door, and he heard the loom start up. For seven days and nights,
the loom clicked and clacked. Finally, she emerged with a beautiful cloth; the most beauti-
ful he had ever seen. “Take this into town and sell it. It will no doubt command a high
price,” she said. He did as she asked and, as she predicted, he sold it for a tidy sum.
Content, he returned home.
STOP
3. Based on what you have read so far, whom do you think this woman might be?
His wife continued to weave. After several weeks of weaving and selling, the
sailmaker’s curiosity began to eat away at him. As far as he knew, all she had was a
loom—no thread. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He slowly pushed the door open
and peeked inside. To his surprise, she was gone.
Instead, he found a crane sitting next to a pile of finished cloth, the elegant bird
plucking its own feathers for thread. He gasped, and she heard him. She hung her head
in sadness and walked over. “Remember me? I am the crane that you brought back to
health. I wanted to repay you for your kindness, but now that you have seen my real self, I
must go.” She nudged the finished cloth toward him with her beak. “Take this to town and
sell it. It should make you enough money to keep you comfortable for the rest of your life.”
She turned to face the front door. She was sad, for she had loved him, too, but off
she went into the dark sky, never to be seen again.
5. Look back at your previous answer. Were your predictions correct? If not, what
surprised you about the ending?
Aladdin
ONCE UPON A TIME, there was “The magic lamp of myth? Everyone
knows that’s a dangerous mission! I won’t
an evil sorcerer. This evil sorcerer had one do it!” said Aladdin. The sorcerer pleaded
thing in the world that he wanted, and with him, but he refused.
that was a magical lamp. Everyone had “Fine. Stay here forever!” said the
heard of this lamp, but few knew if it sorcerer, and with a whoosh of his arm, he
really existed—it was the stuff of legend snapped the entrance shut.
in the town. Supposedly, the lamp Aladdin was terrified. What could
contained a genie that could grant the he do now? There was only one way to get
owner three wishes. out: find the magic lamp and ask the genie
According to the legend, the lamp to take him home.
was in a magic cave on the outskirts of After searching the cave for hours
town. However, this cave was said to be and stepping carefully over traps, he found
full of traps designed to stop anyone it, hidden away in a little room. He hurried
from stealing the lamp. The sorcerer had to it and rubbed it, for he knew that was
an idea: he needed to find someone the way to release the genie. Sure enough,
younger, more daring, and most of all, a genie appeared in a puff of smoke.
less rich than he to steal it for him. For his first wish, Aladdin asked the
He found a young beggar genie to take him back home, and the
named Aladdin, wandering through Stride
theInternational School
genie obliged.
market. “Perfect,” thought the sorcerer. However, the genie was bound to
“If he becomes trapped in the cave, no Aladdin until the boy used his three wishes.
one is likely to come looking for him.” One day, while he was cleaning house, he
The sorcerer walked through the knocked over the lamp and the genie once
market and bought some new clothes for a again appeared. “Well, since you’re here.”
disguise. Then, he walked over to Aladdin. said Aladdin, “I’ve always wondered what
“Excuse me, young man,” he said in a it would be like to be a man of some means.”
funny voice. “I am your uncle. Your father
The genie transformed Aladdin into a
and I haven’t spoken in years, and I’d like
wealthy merchant. He strode into town in
to get to know you better.”
his finery, and attracted the attention of the
“But I don’t think I have an uncle—”
beautiful Princess Badroulbadour. The two
“Just come with me,” said the
were married in a short time.
sorcerer, and he took him to the cave.
Soon, the sorcerer returned to town.
“Here, take this magic ring for He tracked down the new couple—the
protection,” said the sorcerer, slipping a princess didn’t know that Aladdin was a
jeweled ring onto Aladdin’s finger. “Now poor boy, nor did she know what the lamp
go inside and find me the lamp,” com- was capable of—and, dressed in his
manded the sorcerer as he stepped into the disguise, knocked on the door of their
cave with Aladdin. home. Princess Badroulbadour answered.
THINK ABOUT IT
Imagine you found a magic lamp. What would you ask the genie for?
THINK ABOUT IT
Using the magic ring was just one way Aladdin could have defeated the evil sorcerer. How
would you have done it? Write three steps you would take to put the evil sorcerer back in
his place!
Momotaro
LONG AGO, there was an old The husband rushed into the kitchen
to find his wife of fifty years, stunned and
couple who didn’t have any children. Their silent, cradling a squirming pink newborn
days passed quietly: The old man cut grass in her frail arms. The husband stopped in
for a living, and his wife kept the house his tracks.
clean and the garden neat. They were “I…I…” started the wife. The
happy to have a roof over their heads and husband reached out for the child and
enough food on the table, but they were began to cry. “I don’t know how you got
always a little sad because they never had here, little one, but I’m glad you did,” he
a child. said. “Little Momotaro…Peach Boy…”
One day while the old woman was Years passed, and Momotaro grew
washing clothes in the river, a big peach up strong; stronger than all the other boys
came floating towards her. “What luck!” she his age. Still, like any teenager, he was
cried. “I’m so tired of eating plain rice for curious. He spent his afternoons exploring
dinner. With this peach I can make the most the mountains and caves around his home.
delicious dessert!” Looking around to make Each time he went farther away from his
sure no one saw her, she buried the peach parents’ house than the last, but always
in her apron and took it home to surprise returned in time for dinner.
her husband for dinner. One day, he happened upon a shore
“Say, what you got thereStride
in thatInternational School
he had never seen before. Off in the dist-
apron?” said the husband when she walked ance, he could see a little island. He swam
in the door. The peach was huge, and hard out to it, and found it to be full of monsters!
to hide. “You’ll find out once dinner is done,” He crept along the shore, and overheard a
she said slyly. group of them talking about launching an
She went into the kitchen and closed attack on his village. Shocked, he hurried
the door. She got out a big knife, the back home.
biggest she could find, to cut the large “Father,” he said as he entered his
peach. Slowly, she sawed at the skin. When home. “You must know by now how thank-
she broke the surface, she heard a strange ful I am for you and mother.”
crying from inside! “Of course,” replied his father. “It
She put down the knife and stepped has been no trouble at all to raise you,
back. With her hands, she tore at the flesh even at our age. You have been a joy to
of the peach until she saw what was our lives, and for that we are thankful
inside—a baby boy! for you.”
“Husband, quick! Come here!” “That is why, I’m afraid, I must leave
“But you told me not to peek for a while,” he said with a heavy sigh.
until dinner—“ His father gasped. “Whatever for?”
“Forget what I said and come Momotaro then told him what he
in here!” had seen that afternoon. “I must go and
defeat them,” he said. “I can’t bear the monsters. I was out there yesterday, and
thought of what could happen to you and heard of their evil plan.”
Mother if they carry out their plans.” “It’s true, those monsters are no
His father was shocked, but he could good,” agreed the dog. “Take me with
hear the conviction in his son’s voice. He you. With your smarts and my size, we’ll
thought it was best to let him go, for he be unstoppable.”
knew stopping him would only make him The two continued on to the shore.
more determined. Many more miles down the road, a
The next morning, Momotaro set out monkey crossed their path. “Why, you’re
for the island, carrying a sack of food and the famous Momotaro!” he said. “Where
supplies. His parents stood in the doorway are you off to?”
and sent him off. “Be well, my son,” said his “I’m going to the island of monsters
father, fighting back tears. to stop them from invading my village.”
He bravely kissed them goodbye, but “Oh, please let me come with you.
he couldn’t get rid of the dread in his stom- I’m small and wily. I can be of great use!”
ach. It hurt to leave his parents “Another helping hand couldn’t hurt.
undefended—what if he didn’t make it to Come along with us.”
the island in time? Or worse, what if the More hours passed, and they came to
monsters won? He was full of worry, but a field where they met a bird.
instead he smiled and reassured his parents. “Why, if it isn’t Momotaro,” he
“I’ll be back before you know it. And when I exclaimed. “You’re off to fight those mon-
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return, we will feast in victory!” sters on the island, aren’t you? I flew over it
Momotaro set off down the road, yesterday and heard their plan. I thought of
retracing his path from the day before. As you and your family.”
midday approached, he began to get “Yes, that’s exactly where we
hungry. He sat down in the shade of a tree are headed.”
and pulled a rice cake his mother had made “Take me with you, please. I’m a
out of his sack. As he was eating, a large great scout—I can see things from up here
dog came wandering up to him. that you three cannot.”
“Gee, those cakes look good. Might I “Sure, come on.”
have one?” the dog pleaded. They walked and walked, and at
“Sure. Here, have a bite,” he said, last they came to the sea. Momotaro and
breaking off a piece to give to the dog, who the bird were ready, but the dog and
lapped it up with great joy. “I’m Momotaro, monkey hesitated. They had never seen the
by the way.” ocean before, and were afraid to cross it.
The dog stopped and looked up. “Come on, you two. If you can’t
“Momotaro? The Momotaro? Why, everyone handle a little water, how do you expect to
around here has heard of you! What are take on monsters?”
you doing out here today?” “But it’s so unpredictable. We could
“I’m on my way to fight the island get hurt,” cried the dog.
“That’s true,” said Momotaro calmly. “Fear not. I’ll do what I can to rescue
“But you know what? Sometimes you just you both,” he said reassuringly. “Just tell me
have to be brave and face the things you’re how to get into the castle.”
scared of.” The two women led him to an open-
The dog knew he was right, and the ing in the castle wall. Momotaro wiggled
monkey did too. The two closed their eyes inside and attacked. Caught off guard,
and stepped into the water. the monsters were easily defeated. By the
They arrived at the island in a short time they had finished, the only one left to
time. When they climbed ashore, a large take down was the king, who had been
castle loomed in front of them. “Bird, fly hiding in his chambers. He was prepared
overhead and see what’s going on there,” to surrender.
Momotaro said. The bird did as he was told. “Please don’t hurt me,” he said,
He perched on the edge of a parapet and kneeling at Momotaro’s feet. “You can have
shouted, “Listen up, you vile things! The all the treasure in the castle if you leave
great fighter Momotaro has come. I strongly me be!”
advise you surrender, or face his wrath.” “Oh, what’s this? Big, scary monster
The monsters, scared at first, began isn’t so scary after all!” mocked Momotaro.
to laugh when they saw it was just a tiny “You’re all bark and no bite. Still, you don’t
bird. “Please! You wouldn’t stand a chance deserve my mercy.” He tied up the king,
against us.” They charged at the little bird, took the treasure, and went back to the two
but he was too fast for them. He evaded women to send them home. Then, he
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them all, and pecked them in the eyes when proudly marched back home with his new
he could. friends. “Nice work back there,” he said as
Meanwhile, Momotaro, the dog, and they made their way back to the village.
the monkey looked for a way to enter the “Thanks for all your help. I couldn’t have
castle. It was surrounded on all sides by done it without you.”
high walls and twisting iron gates, and it Momotaro, the monkey, the dog, and
was beginning to look like there was no the bird received a hero’s welcome upon
safe entrance. But as they snuck along the their return. There was much rejoicing and
perimeter of the castle, they ran into two feasting for days. Best of all, though, his
young women washing clothes in a stream, parents rushed to embrace him when they
weeping as they worked. saw him coming down the road. “We’re so
“Excuse me,” inquired Momotaro. proud of you,” his mother whispered.
“What’s wrong? Can I help?” “Baking a dessert that night was the best
“We are captives here,” one of them decision of my life.” The treasure he
said through sobs. “We were stolen away brought home kept his family comfortable
from our homes and made slaves to these for the rest of their days.
terrible ogres. It seems unlikely we will
ever leave!”
THINK ABOUT IT
Momotaro is clearly the hero of this story. How does Momotaro act like a hero?
How is he different from other heroes you have read about or seen?
Find a quote from the story that supports your answer and rewrite it below.
He arrived home to see not a house, On his third try, he suddenly heard a great
but a huge palace! Guards marched rumble as the sea swelled up and spat out
around the garden and servants scurried to the little fish onto the shore. “What else
and fro inside the house. He found his wife could you possibly need?” said the fish.
in the parlor, wearing an elegant gown and “My wife wants to be the Empress of the
sitting on a golden throne. Seven Seas,” he said.
A few days later, she had another The fish said nothing, then slowly
request. “I have grown tired of being queen,” turned away and swam off into the sea.
she said. “Go back to the fish and tell him I The man walked home, afraid of what his
want something bigger–I want to be the wife would say. When he walked up to his
Empress of the Seven Seas!” house, he was sad, but not surprised, to see
“But your majesty…” he started to that the palace had vanished—in its place
protest. stood the same small hut he was used to.
“Do not argue with me! Go to the His wife sat inside in a plain dress. She
fish,” she said. “Or I will have you looked up at him, but did not say a word.
banished from my kingdom forever.” The next day, the man went out to
The fisherman trudged back to the fish, just as he always had. He called out
shore. “Little fish, little fish, please come to for the golden fish, but he did not arrive.
me,” he pleaded. Thought he fished every morning for the rest
He waited and waited and waited. of his life, he never found the golden fish
Minutes passed, but the fish did not appear. again.
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He called again, but still it did not come.
Days passed, and the fish grew fatter ran away. She ran so fast that, on the way
and fatter. When it reached full size, Tam back home, one of her slippers fell off and
wished for gold, jewelry, and finery she landed in a stream. It floated down the
had never had before, but was careful not stream to the grounds of the royal palace,
to let her family see it. where a guard picked it up and brought
Spring turned to fall, and soon the it inside. “Your Majesty, I have found this
Autumn Festival came. Of course, the night in the garden,” he said. “Look at that
of the festival, Tam’s stepmother ordered stitching, that silk! This must belong to
Tam to stay home and sort beans for the someone royal.”
night. “Once you’re done with that, then The king lived alone, and had
you may join us.” Tam watched as her wanted to find a queen for quite some
stepmother and stepsister put on their finest time. “See if you can find its owner,” he
gowns and left. ordered his guard. “I would certainly like
When they were out of earshot, to meet her.”
Tam ran outside and asked her fish for help. The guard started with the ladies at
“Little fish, please send me help! If I do not the palace, but it did not fit any of them. He
finish this chore, I’ll never be able to go then went all around the kingdom, visiting
to the festival, and stepmother will be women of noble birth. They all tried it, but it
terribly angry.” was too small for them all, too.
Just then, two birds swooped down Having exhausted all his other
and hovered over her. “We are here to help
Stride options,
International the guard began knocking on
School
you,” they said. They followed her inside doors of the villagers. In his search, he
and helped her sort all the beans, every last came to the house of Tam and Cam. The
one! She had plenty of time left to get to the stepmother tried it on first, but it was too
festival. She washed her face, combed her small. Then, Cam tried it on, but it was too
hair, and dressed herself in a beautiful big. He was just about to leave, when Tam
gown and glittering jewelry. As she passed spoke up for herself. “Excuse me, may I try?”
the well on her way into town, she saw that He was confused—this perfect
she looked as lovely as a princess. slipper couldn’t possibly belong to this
When she arrived, the villagers ragged girl—but he wasn’t going to turn
could not stop staring. She was the most her away. He slipped the shoe on her foot,
elegant woman they had ever seen! Even and to his surprise, it fit just right. He
her stepmother and Cam took notice. “My, rushed her to the palace where she met
doesn’t that woman look like Tam? How with the king. The two got on well, and
strange. Look at her gown; her jewels! She were married the next year.
must be a queen.”
Tam heard them whispering as she
walked by, and was suddenly afraid that
they would recognize her. In her panic, she
Cinderella
Vasilisa the
Tam and Cam Beautiful
Have evil stepmothers Have evil stepmothers