VII.

WRITING AN ORIGINAL FABLE

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WRITING AN ORIGINAL FABLE Look back to the fable, The Donkey and the Race Horse (p. 93). Read it through carefully. Notice that it is written in two paragraphs. See how short it is -how few sentences are used.

Now look over the different titles of fables on pages 96, 97. Select one of these titles and write a fable to fit the title. In doing this, here are some things you must keep in mind:

1. Begin the first word and the important words in your title with capital letters. You have only to copy your title; but as you do so, tell yourself why you use capitals where you do.

2. Indent your paragraphs. Make only two paragraphs.

3. Think out every sentence before you try to write it.

4. Be sure to begin each sentence with a capital letter.

5. Be sure to end each sentence with the right mark of punctuation.

6. Remember that every direct quotation the exact words of a speaker - must be inclosed in quotation marks.

If you do all these things, you will have few mistakes to correct when you finish writing your fable.

A

VIII. ENLARGING A PARAGRAPH 1

In the fable, The Donkey and the Race Horse (p. 93), the writer made the first paragraph very short yet in it he told a great deal.

A donkey boasted that he could outrun a horse. The horse consented to run a race with the foolish beast. Of course the donkey was defeated, and he was loudly laughed at by the other animals."

As a fable must be a short story, the writer did well to make the paragraph short. Sometimes, however, we might like to tell more fully just what happened. Thus, in place of the first sentence, we might tell how the donkey boasted, giving the donkey's own words.

Just what might the donkey have said? Here are some things he might have said; you may think of others.

"How slow that horse is! I can easily outrun him! '

"Is that as fast as you can run? I can easily beat you."

"No other animal can run so fast as I. I can outrun the swiftest race horse."

In place of the second sentence, we might give the horse's answer to the donkey's foolish boast.

1 Note to the teacher: Your Manual (page 99) gives suggestions for making this exercise interesting and profitable.

ENLARGING PARTS OF A FABLE

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What might the horse have said? How would you have answered had you been the horse?

When the donkey was defeated, as told in the last sentence of the paragraph, just what might the other animals have said?

IX. ENLARGING PARTS OF A FABLE

Write the first part of one of the fables whose titles are given on pages 96 and 97. Tell what the boaster said when he claimed that he could do something better than another. Use his exact words.

Tell the reply of the one to whom the boaster spoke, giving the exact words of the reply.

Finally, give the exact words of those who saw the test and its outcome.

For example, if you were writing a fable with the title, The Robin and the Swallow, you might write something like this:

One day a robin boasted to a swallow, "I can fly faster than any other bird."

The swallow answered: "Let us fly to the tall pine at the edge of the forest. We shall soon see if you are speaking the truth."

The swallow reached the pine tree long before the robin. Then the other birds twittered and sang, "The robin is a boaster, not a swift flier!"

Some Things to Remember in Writing

1. Before beginning to write, think out every sentence, just as you will write it.

2. Remember that what each animal says should be written in a separate paragraph. Notice that the words of the robin are found in the first paragraph; the words of the swallow, in the second paragraph; the words of the other birds, in the third paragraph.

3. Remember how every sentence begins, how each kind of sentence ends, and that every quotation must be inclosed in quotation marks.

X. REWRITING A FABLE

Read the following fable:

The Wolf and the Crane

A wolf, who had a bone stuck in his throat, offered to pay a crane well if she would draw it out. The crane consented and soon removed the bone. When she asked the wolf for her pay, he laughed and told her she was lucky to have escaped with her life and that was pay enough.

Rewrite this fable, giving the words that the wolf and the crane may have used. Remember that the words of each should be written in separate paragraphs.

XI. CHAPTER TEST: WRITING A FABLE FROM A CONVERSATION

Below is given a conversation between an ant and a snail. Make this conversation into a fable. Write an opening paragraph telling where the ant and the snail met. How many more paragraphs will you have? Remember to use quotation marks in giving the words of the different speakers.

Do not use the word "said" in each paragraph. When may you use "asked"? When "exclaimed"? What other words may you use in place of "said"?

Ant: What is the matter, friend snail? You look worried.

Snail: I am worried. See this great post in my way. I wish I had wings like a bird, that I might fly over it. Ant: Wings, indeed! Have you no feet? Why wish to fly when you can crawl?

Snail: Crawl? Don't you see how high this post is? Ant: What difference does the height make to you? Crawl around, my friend, crawl around.