Group Exercise. As each pupil tells the fable, the class will listen to see whether any important parts have been left out. The class should tell each speaker where he did well and where the fable might have been told better. There is a good way and a poor way of telling a story. Do you not remember the two ways in which Tom told his dream?
9. Making up Fables
As you know, the fable of the ants and the grasshoppers teaches the lesson that during worktime one should work. The same lesson could be taught by other stories. Let us try to make up a fable of our own. Our fable should show what happens to those who will not work.
Oral Exercise. 1. What animals shall we have in our story to take the place of the ants? They must be very busy animals. They must be good workers. They must not waste their time in idleness. They must not play when they should be going about their business. Would bees do? Now, what animals shall take the place of the grasshoppers? What do you think of butterflies for this part?
2. Make up a fable about bees and butterflies and tell it to your classmates. Will you tell it as if you were one of the bees? Or will you be a butterfly? Or will you tell the fable as if you were a bird or a field mouse that saw all that happened and heard all that was said?
Group Exercise. After each telling of the fable you and the other pupils should tell the story-teller, first, what things in his story you liked, and, second, what could be made better.
Sometimes pupils do not speak loud enough for the class to hear. Sometimes they do not seem strong enough to stand squarely on their two feet while they are speaking. They seem to need to hold on to a chair or table, so as not to fall. Those who stand well and speak with a clear, ringing voice should be praised for it by their classmates.[22]
Oral Exercise. Read the following ideas for stories. Perhaps you can make up a story from one of them that the class would like to hear. Perhaps you can make up a very interesting story that the class would like to play.
1. There are two dogs living in neighboring houses. One is too lazy to watch his master's house. The other is faithful. When a burglar comes, the faithful dog drives him away. Then the burglar enters the neighbor's house. There he finds the lazy watchdog fast asleep. What happens next morning when the master of each dog learns what took place during the night?