Updated May 16, 2026
Using fables in ESL class is a great idea because almost every culture on earth has some kind of fables or stories that impart a lesson to the reader or listener. These fables usually have animals as the main characters. One of the great things about these stories is that they offer universal lessons.
Almost every culture you teach can relate to the lessons they impart. Some of the most famous fables on earth were created by the Greek storyteller Aesop. I have included a few of the shortest ones I could find so you can have students read them quickly. This will allow for plenty of time to do the following exercises in class.
Animals in Fables
Many fables have different animals that embody a certain emotion or personality type. One fun exercise is to first have students try to come up with some main animals that are present in some popular fables. Then have them brainstorm the various personalities that are connected to the different animals. For example, the Fox is almost always sly and cunning, while the donkey is usually seen as foolish.
Ask Students to then discuss which animal they think best represents themselves. Some easy questions to ask are:
- What animal best represents you?
- Why do you think so?
- Is there an animal that you most admire?
- What personality traits or qualities do you think that animal has?
Tell a Tale
For this next part, I have provided a few of the shortest fables I could find to use. The reason is you want to give them to students and maybe give them as homework to read, understand, and then be prepared to tell back to the class in their own words. I left the tales in the original language but you might want to redo them to make it easier for students to understand.
| 📚 Want More Fables Ready for Your Classroom? The Oxford Bookworms Library: Fables from Aesop (Stage 1) is one of the best graded readers for ESL students. The language is simplified without losing the heart of the stories — perfect for reading aloud, retelling practice, and discussion activities just like the ones in this post. Level: Beginner to Elementary (A1–A2) Great for: Individual reading, pair work, homework assignments. Pairs well with: The “Tell a Tale” and “Create Your Own” activities above 👉 Check it out on Amazon: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. |
The Ass in the Lion’s Skin
An Ass once found a Lion’s skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day. In his delight, he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then everyone knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgeling for the fright he had caused. And shortly afterward, a Fox came up to him and said: “Ah, I knew you by your voice.”
Moral: Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool.
Discussion Questions — The Ass in the Lion’s Skin
| 1 | Have you ever pretended to be more confident or important than you felt? What happened? |
| 2 | Why do you think the donkey wanted to wear the lion’s skin? What was he looking for? |
| 3 | Was the punishment fair? The owner beat him when he found out. Do you think he deserved it? |
| 4 | Can you think of a real person — in business, politics, or entertainment — who seemed impressive at first but was later “found out”? |
| 5 | What does “fake it till you make it” mean? Do you agree with this idea? Is there a limit to it? |
| 6 | In your culture, how much do clothes, titles, or job status affect how people treat you? |
| 7 | What things might “give away” a person’s real character — even if they look impressive on the outside? |
| 8 | The fox recognized the donkey by his voice. What is it about a person’s words that reveals who they really are? |
| 9 | Have you ever felt pressure to appear more educated, wealthy, or successful than you are? Why? |
| 10 | If you were the donkey, what would you have done instead? |
The Fox and the Grapes
One hot summer’s day, a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again, he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last, had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.”
Moral: It is easy to despise what you cannot get.
Discussion Questions — The Fox and the Grapes
| 1 | Have you ever wanted something badly, failed to get it, and then pretended you didn’t care? What was it? |
| 2 | The expression “sour grapes” comes from this story. What does it mean in everyday English? Can you use it in a sentence? |
| 3 | At what point should a person stop trying for something? How do you know when it’s time to give up? |
| 4 | Do you think the grapes were actually sour? Why did the fox say that? |
| 5 | Is “sour grapes” thinking a form of lying, or is it a normal way to protect your feelings? |
| 6 | What’s the difference between accepting failure gracefully and making excuses for yourself? |
| 7 | Have you ever seen someone use “sour grapes” thinking in real life? How did others around them react? |
| 8 | In your culture, is it acceptable to openly admit that you failed at something? Why or why not? |
| 9 | Can you think of a famous company, sports team, or country that had a “sour grapes” reaction after losing something? |
| 10 | What would you say to a friend who was clearly using “sour grapes” thinking? Would you tell them directly? |
The Lion and the Mouse
Once, when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. “Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse: “forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?” The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go. Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just then, the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. “Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.
Moral: Little friends may prove great friends.
Discussion Questions — The Lion and the Mouse
| 1 | Have you ever been helped by someone you didn’t expect? Tell the story. |
| 2 | The lion laughs at the idea of the mouse helping him. What assumptions did he make? Were they reasonable? |
| 3 | Can you think of a time when a small act of kindness made a big difference in your life or someone else’s? |
| 4 | The mouse keeps his promise even though the lion probably forgot about it. How important is it to keep promises — even small ones? |
| 5 | Have you ever underestimated someone because of their size, age, position, or background? What happened? |
| 6 | What makes someone a truly valuable friend — wealth, power, loyalty, or something else? |
| 7 | In your culture, are people expected to return favors? What happens if they don’t? |
| 8 | The lion showed mercy to the mouse without expecting anything in return. Is generosity always rewarded? Should it be? |
| 9 | Can a small country, small company, or individual person have a big impact on the world? Give a real example. |
| 10 | What would this story look like if it happened in a modern workplace? Who would be the lion and who would be the mouse? |
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep’s clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal of her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep and enjoying hearty meals.
Moral: Appearances are deceptive.
Discussion Questions — The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
| 1 | Have you ever trusted someone who turned out to be very different from how they first appeared? What happened? |
| 2 | What signals do you use to decide whether to trust a new person? Has your instinct ever been wrong? |
| 3 | Can you think of a modern example of a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” — in business, politics, or everyday life? |
| 4 | Is it ever okay to pretend to be something you’re not? Can you think of any situations where this is acceptable? |
| 5 | Advertisers often make products look better than they are. Is this a form of being a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”? |
| 6 | What does the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” mean? Does this story agree or disagree with that saying? |
| 7 | In a job interview, people dress professionally and present their best self. Is this deceptive? Where is the line? |
| 8 | In your culture, how much importance is placed on first impressions and appearance? |
| 9 | Have you ever misjudged someone because of how they looked or presented themselves? What changed your mind? |
| 10 | What’s more revealing about a person — how they look, what they say, or how they act under pressure? |
The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf
A shepherd boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, “Wolf! Wolf!” and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: “Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep,” but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.
Moral: There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
Discussion Questions — The Boy Who Cried Wolf
| 1 | Have you ever told a lie and then struggled to be believed when you were telling the truth? What happened? |
| 2 | Why do you think the boy cried wolf? Was he bored, lonely, wanting attention — or something else? |
| 3 | Were the villagers wrong to ignore him at the end? Is it fair to stop believing someone completely after they have lied? |
| 4 | How many chances do you give someone who has lied to you before you stop trusting them? |
| 5 | Can trust, once broken, ever be fully repaired? What does it take? |
| 6 | What is the difference between a lie told for fun and a lie told with the intention to hurt someone? |
| 7 | In your culture, how seriously is honesty taken in personal relationships? In business? |
| 8 | Have you ever had to tell an uncomfortable truth to a friend or family member? What happened? |
| 9 | Are there situations where you think lying is acceptable or even necessary? Give an example. |
| 10 | What advice would you give to someone who has a reputation for being dishonest but genuinely wants to change? |
The Hare and the Tortoise
The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. “I have never yet been beaten,” said he, “when I put forth my full speed. I challenge anyone here to race with me.”The Tortoise said quietly, “I accept your challenge.” “That is a good joke,” said the Hare; “I could dance round you all the way.” “Keep your boasting till you’ve been beaten,” answered the Tortoise. “Shall we race?”
So a course was fixed, and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then said the Tortoise:
“Plodding(Slow and Steady) wins the race.” (Moral)
Discussion Questions — The Hare and the Tortoise
| 1 | Do you personally agree that “slow and steady wins the race”? Can you think of examples where this is true — or where it’s completely wrong? |
| 2 | The hare was overconfident. Have you ever been overconfident about something? What was the result? |
| 3 | Are you more like the hare or the tortoise in your daily life? Give a specific example. |
| 4 | In modern life, speed is often valued highly — fast delivery, fast answers, fast results. Do you think this is a good thing? |
| 5 | Can you think of a successful person, company, or country that won by being consistent rather than the fastest or most talented? |
| 6 | Have you ever been underestimated — like the tortoise — by someone? How did it feel? What did you do? |
| 7 | What does “consistency” mean to you? How important is it for success compared to natural talent? |
| 8 | The hare took a nap during the race. What does this tell you about how he saw the tortoise? What’s the danger of underestimating others? |
| 9 | In your culture, is being the “fastest” or “the best” more respected than being steady and reliable? |
| 10 | What is something you are working toward slowly but surely right now? What keeps you going? |
The Twist Method: Change One Detail and Watch the Conversation Explode
This lesson combines another story from another class I did. You take a classic fairy tale, like “Cinderella,” and then have them change one part of the story. For example, Cinderella was a man. How does the story change? Is the ending the same? You can also make a twist on a story by changing it at one key part. Say the prince goes to find Cinderella, and the glass slipper fits one of the ugly stepsisters. Reluctantly, the prince marries her and lives unhappily ever after.
The subject of fairy tales is also a good way to introduce deeper subjects. Do they sometimes teach the wrong types of lessons? Cinderella was beautiful while her stepsisters were not. What if the beautiful character was the evil one and the ugly one was the good one?
Create Your Own
Have students try to think of what kind of lessons or advice they might want to impart. They can think of what animals to use. Have them create a story or situation that they can use to teach their lesson. And most importantly, they want to have a good moral at the end of the story.
This can be a solitary assignment for homework, but I think it is a great chance for discussion and collaboration in class. Put students in groups of three or four and have them brainstorm all sorts of advice or lessons they would like to teach. They then have to decide on which lesson to teach and create a fable to go along with it.
At the end of the class, the students can tell their stories to the class. You can even have them vote on which story was the best. With the caveat being that they have to vote for someone else’s story. It will be fun to have some kind of prize. Candy bars work wonders, even for adults.
Here are some bonus questions:
Cross-Cultural Fable Questions
| 1 | Does your country or culture have its own fables or folk stories with animals? What is one? What is the lesson? |
| 2 | Are the lessons in Aesop’s fables universal — or do some of them feel more relevant to Western culture? |
| 3 | Which of today’s fables had the most relevant moral for modern life? Why? |
| 4 | Which animal from today’s stories would you most like to be — and why? |
| 5 | If you could write a fable about modern life (social media, smartphones, work culture), what lesson would it teach? |
| 6 | Do you think children today still learn morals and values from stories? Or has this changed? |
| 7 | Which moral from today’s fables do you think people most often ignore in real life? |
| 8 | Can you connect any of today’s fables to a news story you have seen recently? |
And the Teacher Lived Happily Ever After
And there you have it. Hopefully, some ideas to make class a little more fun and interesting. Just to make sure you got them all:
- Talk about the animals in the stories
- Have students retell a story in their own words
- Work in groups to create their own story
- Change a classic fable or fairy tale
These are just a few of the ideas I have used and others have created for teaching. What are some ways you use fables? Leave a message in the comments to share your ideas.
Add these to some other activities like:
Think-Pair-Share
Follow-ups for ESL Students
I hope these lead to a funtastic time in class because, as we all know, Teaching English is Fun!
