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The Fox and the Crow: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Aesop, a storyteller in Greece, told this about 2,600 years ago. A French poet named La Fontaine told it again in a poem.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A crow steals a piece of cheese from a farmhouse kitchen and flies up to a branch to eat it. A hungry fox cannot climb the tree, so he praises her feathers and begs to hear her sing. When the proud crow opens her beak to caw, the cheese drops and the fox runs off with it.
The lesson, in one line. Be careful of sweet words from someone who wants something.
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 Fox and the Crow?
The story's answer: Be careful of sweet words from someone who wants something. The fox flatters the crow only so that she will drop the cheese. - How does the fox trick the crow?
The story's answer: He praises her feathers and her voice and asks her to sing. When she opens her beak to caw, the cheese falls out. - What is flattery?
The story's answer: Flattery means praising someone too much, often to get something from them. The fox in this fable uses it to win the crow's cheese. - Who wrote The Fox and the Crow?
The story's answer: It is credited to Aesop, a storyteller from ancient Greece. The French poet La Fontaine retold it in a poem. - 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 French poet named La Fontaine told it again in a poem.
- It is also called The Crow and the Fox.
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 word for what the fox does is flattery: saying sweet things to get something.
Words to teach before you start
- clever: smart
- puffed: swelled up
- proud: pleased with herself
- flattering: sweet-talking
- grin: big smile
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Fox and the Crow 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 Fox and the Crow 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 Dog in the Manger (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.