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The Dog in the Manger: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Aesop, a storyteller in Greece, told this about 2,600 years ago. People still call a grump who spoils things for others "a dog in the manger."
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A tired ox comes into the barn and finds the farm dog asleep in his manger, on top of the hay. The dog growls and will not let the ox or the horse eat, though a dog cannot eat hay. The farmer lifts the dog out, and the animals eat.
The lesson, in one line. Don't keep others from something you can't use yourself.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 3 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Dog in the Manger?
The story's answer: Don't keep others from something you can't use yourself. The dog cannot eat hay, but he will not let the hungry animals have it. - What does “dog in the manger” mean?
The story's answer: It describes a person who stops others from having something they cannot use or enjoy themselves. The saying comes from this fable. - What is a manger?
The story's answer: A manger is a trough or box in a barn that holds hay or feed for animals such as oxen and horses. - Who wrote The Dog in the Manger?
The story's answer: It is credited to Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece who lived about 2,600 years ago. - Do you agree with the lesson? Can you think of a time it would not be true?
Listen for: Any answer with a reason is a good one; listen for a real example from their own lives. - Which animal would you rather be in this story, and why?
Listen for: Children often pick the winner; ask what the other animal could have done differently.
Did you know?
- It is an Aesop fable, told in Greece about 2,600 years ago.
- A manger is a wooden box that holds hay for farm animals to eat.
- People still call a grump who spoils things for others “a dog in the manger”.
Activity: Act it out, then swap the ending
Two readers play the animals and the rest are the narrator. Then play it again where the other animal wins: what is the lesson now?
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The dog's own supper was waiting by the door the whole time.
Words to teach before you start
- manger: animal's food box
- plodded: walked slowly
- hay: dried grass
- lantern: lamp you carry
- prickly: sharp and scratchy
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Dog in the Manger book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 3 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Dog in the Manger for?
It is written at Peabody level 7, a grade 2 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- The Ant and the Grasshopper (level 7)
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf (level 7)
- The Fox and the Crow (level 7)
- The Fox and the Grapes (level 7)
- The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (level 7)
- The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs (level 8)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.