The mother and the wolf
Passage Activities:

Words: 101-200

Skills: Main / Central Idea Summary Theme

Grades: 1st 2nd 3rd

Topics: Fairy Tales and Fables

Genres: Prose

Lexile Range: 740L - 1050L

Lexile Measure: 920L

CCSS: Reading: Literature

Themes: —

The Mother and the Wolf

by Aesop from The Aesop for Children

The Greek author Aesop wrote fables centuries ago that still have meaning for modern readers. Students will read the passage and answer questions about the story and the moral.

Reading Comprehension Passage

The Mother and the Wolf

by Aesop from The Aesop for Children

Early one morning a hungry Wolf was prowling around a cottage at the edge of a village, when he heard a child crying in the house. Then he heard the Mother's voice say:

"Hush, child, hush! Stop your crying, or I will give you to the Wolf!"

Surprised but delighted at the prospect of so delicious a meal, the Wolf settled down under an open window, expecting every moment to have the child handed out to him. But though the little one continued to fret, the Wolf waited all day in vain. Then, toward nightfall, he heard the Mother's voice again as she sat down near the window to sing and rock her baby to sleep.

"There, child, there! The Wolf shall not get you. No, no! Daddy is watching and Daddy will kill him if he should come near!"

Just then the Father came within sight of the home, and the Wolf was barely able to save himself from the Dogs by a clever bit of running.

Do not believe everything you hear.

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Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What did the Wolf hear the Mother say that made him stay by the cottage?



2. How long did the Wolf stay by the cottage?



3. Who did the Mother say would kill the Wolf?



4. Why should we not believe everything we hear?


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Vocabulary List

Vocabulary List

Each of the vocabulary words below are used in the reading passage. As you read the passage, pay attention to context clues that suggest the word’s meaning.

  1. prowling
  2. prospect
  3. fret
  4. vain
  5. clever

Context Clues

Context Clues

Using context clues from the sentences in the passage, underline the correct meaning of the word in boldface.

1. “a hungry Wolf was prowling around a cottage”

a. eating; nibbling     b. sneaking or roaming     c. sleeping; dozing     d. yelling or barking

2. “Surprised but delighted at the prospect of so delicious a meal”

a. buy; purchase     b. smell or odor     c. hope; chance     d. size

3. “But though the little one continued to fret, the Wolf waited all day in vain”

a. fuss or be upset     b. laugh; giggle     c. cough     d. sleep quietly

4. “But though the little one continued to fret, the Wolf waited all day in vain”

a. hiding     b. quiet; silence     c. without success; useless     d. rain or drizzle

5. “the Wolf was barely able to save himself from the Dogs by a clever bit of running”

a. fast or quick     b. little; small     c. slow; sluggish     d. smart or skillful