Let’s solve this step by step.
We are given two short stories and asked to find the
theme of each — that means, what big idea or lesson the story is trying to teach us. Then we also need to say what happens in the story that leads us to believe that theme.
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Story 1: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” (retold)
Summary:
- A boy watches sheep on a hill.
- He gets bored and yells “Wolf!” even though there’s no wolf.
- Villagers run up to help — but there’s no wolf. They’re annoyed.
- He does it again — same thing. People get mad.
- Later, a real wolf comes. He cries for help — but nobody believes him.
- The wolf eats some sheep. The boy learns his lesson.
What’s the theme?
→ This story teaches us that if you lie too much, people won’t believe you when you tell the truth.
What happens in the story that leads us to believe that?
→ The boy lies twice about the wolf. When the real wolf comes, no one helps because they think he’s lying again. That shows why honesty matters.
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Story 2: “The Little Red Hen”
Summary:
- A hen finds wheat seeds and asks others (dog, cat, duck) to help plant them.
- All say “Not I.”
- She plants, cuts, threshes, mills, bakes — all alone.
- When bread is ready, she asks who will eat it.
- Everyone says “I will!”
- She says, “No — I did all the work. I’ll eat it myself.”
What’s the theme?
→ If you don’t help with the work, you don’t get to enjoy the reward.
What happens in the story that leads us to believe that?
→ The animals refused to help at every step. When the bread was done, they wanted to eat it — but the hen said no, because they didn’t contribute. That shows fairness and responsibility.
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Final Answer:
Story 1 Theme:
If you lie often, people won’t believe you when you’re telling the truth.
What leads us to believe that?
The boy cried “wolf” as a joke twice. When a real wolf came, no one helped because they thought he was lying again.
Story 2 Theme:
You should share in the work if you want to share in the reward.
What leads us to believe that?
The other animals refused to help grow or bake the bread. When it was finished, they wanted to eat it — but the hen wouldn’t let them, since they didn’t help.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of theme worksheet.
