Fable Fun

     My students had a great time getting creative with writing fables, or How an animal became the way it is today.  We brainstormed as a group, and story mapped the characters, the problem, and how the animal received its punishment or reward.  Enjoy these samples!

                                                        Why Birds Fly, by Bobby (5th grade)

     A long time ago, birds didn't fly.  They walked, which made them super easy to catch and be eaten by predators.  So one day, a bird was walking down the forest, and he found a little bird who was badly injured.

     "Help me!" he said.

     "What happened?" asked the bird.

     "The fox tried to eat me," he answered.

     "I'll take you to my hut and take care of you," he told the little bird. 

     So the bird took the little bird to his hut to fix him up.  By the time he was done, the little bird was good as new.  He walked the little bird out to return him to his home.  But when they got into the forest, the fox found them.  They ran as fast they could, but the fox was too fast.  Then the bird heard something in his head.

     "You have done a good deed and now I shall give you one wish," boomed the Sky God in his head.

     "I wish that all birds could fly away from their predators!" the bird exclaimed as he was attempting to flee.

     Then all of a sudden, the two started feeling tingly on their backs.  Hugs wings grew out of them, and the two of them flew away from the fox.

     The birds were never harmed again.   That is how birds got wings to fly, so they could always escape their predators.

                                                        How Squids Got Their Power, by Austin (7th grade)

     Centuries ago before the squids had the power of ink, they were vulnerable.  This is the story of how they obtained their power.

     A young squid wandered into a volcanic area.  Suddenly, a shark appeared, and knocked him to the ground.  The shark started moving towards its dinner.  A rock flew out of the nearby underwater volcano, and knocked the shark away.

     The squid floated unconsciously with his mouth open.  He passed a methane seep and it gave him the power to propel himself away from danger.  Next, he passed an ancient painting, and the ink drifted into his mouth, giving him the power to blind his enemies.  

     He finally woke up, not knowing he had obtained powers.  He started to swim away, but suddenly the shark was back!  The squid reacted with new instincts, blinding the shark with its ink and propelling himself through the water to safety.

     These powers were passed to each and every squid, making them no longer vulnerable, weak, and unable to protect themselves.