Leo's Marvelous Sheep
Once upon a time, there was a kind-hearted farmer named Leo, who had a ewe he loved very much named Penelope. Leo was in a bit of trouble. He had promised his neighbor, Ben, a large basket of apples for fixing his cart, but his apple harvest that year had been very poor.
Ben came asking for his promised apples, and Leo felt ashamed, admitting he didn't have them. To keep his word, Leo decided to sell his most prized possession, his ewe Penelope, at the village market. Ben insisted on going with him to make sure he got what he was owed.
At the market, a man named Tom approached to buy the sheep and asked, "Is she a good ewe?" An idea popped into Leo's head to make her seem special. He said enthusiastically, "Not just good, she's marvelous! In the spring, she has lambs the color of pink flowers, and in the autumn, she has lambs the color of golden leaves!"
Tom's mouth fell open in amazement. Before he could speak, Ben, who wanted the sheep sold quickly, jumped in and added an even bigger lie, "That's nothing! On the night of a full moon, she has lambs with silver spots that glow in the dark!"
Tom was just about to pull out his coins, but a wise old woman who was listening nearby chuckled and said, "My, what a sheep! I suppose on a rainy day she has lambs with rainbow stripes!" Her funny words made everyone pause. Tom realized how silly the stories were. Leo and Ben blushed with embarrassment, and Leo confessed the truth. Tom, impressed with his eventual honesty, bought Penelope for a fair price, and everyone learned that the truth is always the best path.
Moral Values and Lessons
- Honesty is the Best Policy: Telling the truth is always better than making up lies, no matter how small.
- Lies Lead to More Lies: A small lie often leads to a bigger one to cover it up.
- Greed and Self-Interest: Wanting something badly can lead people to do the wrong thing.
- The Truth Will Come Out: It's hard to hide the truth for long, especially when the stories don't make sense.
Comprehension Questions
- What did Leo promise his neighbor, Ben? And why couldn't he keep his promise?
- What did Leo decide to do to solve the problem?
- What was the marvelous lie Leo told about his ewe, Penelope?
- What was the even bigger lie that Ben added?
- How were their lies exposed in the end?
Critical Thinking Questions
- Why did Ben help Leo lie, even though he was initially upset with him?
- Was the old woman being mean by making fun of their lies, or was she helping them?
- What might have happened if Tom had bought the sheep believing the fantastic lies?
Questions to Connect the Story to Daily Life
- Have you ever felt like you needed to exaggerate a story to make it sound better? What happened?
- Why do you think telling the truth is sometimes hard to do?
- How do you feel when you find out someone wasn't being honest with you?
Fun Activities
- Draw: Draw one of the marvelous lambs described in the story (pink, golden, or with glowing silver spots!).
- Act it Out: With friends, act out the market scene. One person is Leo, one is Ben, and one is the amazed Tom.
- Game: "Two Truths and a Funny Lie": Each person says three things about themselves—two are true, and one is a funny lie. The others have to guess which one is the lie.