What is the theme
The Fox and the Goat
Once upon a time, a fox was out walking in the woods. He did not see a well in the ground ahead, and he fell right into it. It was too deep for him to climb out. After several hours passed, a goat came walking by. The goat was feeling thirsty and saw the fox in the well.
"How's the water down there?" asked the goat.
"Why, hello, Goat," said the fox. "The water tastes great. Why don't you come in and have a sip?"
The goat jumped into the well and leaned down to start drinking. Quickly, the fox leaped onto the goat's back and used her horns to spring up and out of the well.
"Oh no!" said the goat. "Now I'm stuck down here. Please help me!"
But the fox only said, "That was your mistake." And he ran off into the woods.
Think about what could happen before you act.
The theme of a story is the
lesson
Read the following sentence.
A toad and a lizard learn to get along while on a journey through the wilderness.
The sentence above is an example of a
plot.
character.
main idea.
theme.
main idea
The Monkey and the Dolphin
A group of sailors set sail on a long voyage. They brought along a monkey to keep them company. After several weeks at sea, there was a terrible storm. The choppy waves tossed around the small ship, and both the sailors and the monkey were thrown into the sea.
A dolphin saw the monkey in the water and rescued him. The dolphin swam to a nearby island, carrying the monkey on her back. When they arrived at the island, the dolphin asked, "Have you been here before?"
The monkey said, "Yes, I have. Actually, I am the king of this island." Of course, that was not true. In fact, no one lived on the island at all.
The dolphin replied, "Good. Then you no longer need me." And she swam off, leaving the monkey stuck on the island.
Bragging can get you in trouble.
What is a main idea?
a description of what the story is mostly about
Read the following sentence.
Friendship helps people get through hard times.
The sentence above is an example of a
plot.
character.
main idea.
theme.
theme
The Man with the Coconuts
One day a man gathered dozens of coconuts to sell in the village. He loaded all the coconuts onto his horse. On his way, he met a boy.
"How long do you think it will take for me to reach the village?" the man asked the boy.
The boy looked at the huge pile of coconuts packed on the horse.
"If you go slowly, you will arrive very soon," the boy said. "But if you go quickly, it will take you all day long."
"This boy doesn't make sense!" the man thought to himself. "I shouldn't listen to him."
The man hurried his horse along. Soon, though, the coconuts fell off the horse. The man had to stop and pick them up again.
He wanted to make up for lost time, so he made his horse go even faster. The coconuts fell off again, and once more the man had to gather them. It was late at night before he reached the village.
Which of the following could be the theme of a story?
A. Fear is more dangerous than any beast.
B. A brave young girl pretends to be a man and takes her father's place in the army.
C. a fear of heights
D. "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too."
A. Fear is more dangerous than any beast.
Read the following sentence.
A woman risks her life to spy for the Union during the Civil War.
The sentence above is an example of a
plot.
character.
main idea.
theme.
Main idea
Echo and Narcissus
Long ago there lived a handsome man named Narcissus who loved only himself. Echo, a goddess of the mountains, fell in love with him. She followed him everywhere, but he acted coldly and cruelly toward her. She was so sad that she faded away until nothing was left of her but her voice.
Soon after, Narcissus was out taking a walk in the forest. Thirsty, he decided to stop for a drink from a pool. As he leaned down to scoop up the cold water in his hands, he saw himself in the water. The face he saw was so beautiful that he fell in love with it. He could not look away, so he sat and stared at himself in the water. He could not bear to leave, not even to eat or drink.
For the rest of his life, Narcissus never left the pool.
Don't think too much of yourself.
Which of the following could be a theme of a story?
D. Essie lied to her brother about her identity for two years, but she finally decided to tell him the truth.
Read the following passage from a story.
As Tai strummed the guitar, Charlesa looked at her with pride. For so long, Tai's fingers had clumsily tripped over the strings, but now she played the song with ease. Getting to this point hadn't been easy for Charlesa, either. She sighed, trying to bury the memories of all the screaming tantrums Tai had thrown. Once, she nearly threw her guitar against a wall. But now when Tai smiled, and the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama" floated out of the instrument, Charlesa smiled, too. It had been worth it.
Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?
Playing a musical instrument is too much work.
Hard work can bring great rewards.
Friends shouldn't try to teach each other new things.
It's OK to give up on yourself.
Hard work can bring great rewards.
The Fox and the Stork
There once was a clever fox who loved playing tricks. He invited his friend the stork over for dinner one day. When dinner was served, the poor bird saw that the meal was soup served in a flat dish. Try as she might, the stork could not drink the soup with her long, thin beak.
"I'm sorry you aren't enjoying the dinner," the fox said, laughing to himself over his trick.
"Oh, it's no problem at all," the stork said, acting very polite. "You must join me for dinner next time."
Soon the stork invited the fox to her house for dinner. The fox had worked hard all day and was very hungry. But when the stork brought out the food, the fox got a surprise. The dinner was served in tall, narrow jars. With her long beak, the stork had no trouble gobbling up the tasty food. The fox's mouth did not fit in the jar, so he went home hungry.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Which of the following could be a theme of a story?
Your past does not define you.
returning home after a long time
A man sees a group of people he used to work with a long time ago.
an old man who used to be a farmer
Your past does not define you.
Read the following sentence.
It is better to be kind than right.
The sentence above is an example of a
plot.
character.
main idea.
theme.
theme