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So the Story Goes Trivia Quiz

Aesop's fables are stories to teach a lesson - if I tell you how the story goes, can you choose the moral?

A multiple-choice quiz by looney_tunes. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
looney_tunes

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
326,182

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2152

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 178 (8/10), Guest 172 (9/10), billine (7/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In the fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper", a grasshopper tries to convince an ant who is struggling to carry an ear of corn back to its nest that it would be better to stop and enjoy the lovely day. In the winter, as it lies on the verge of death from starvation, the grasshopper realizes its folly.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?
Hint

Life is too short for worrying

Don't worry, be happy

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity

Consider the lilies of the field - they toil not, neither do they spin

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. In "Androcles", a slave removes a thorn from the paw of a lion who then provides him with food until they are both captured and (eventually) sent to the arena. Despite being semi-starved, the lion recognizes Androcles and greets him like a dog. Androcles and the lion are both freed by the Emperor in recognition of their noble behavior.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?
Hint

A friend in pain is a friend to gain

Be nice

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls

If you build it, they will come

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. In "The Bundle of Sticks", we read of an old man who summons his sons to his deathbed, and asks them to break a bundle of sticks. After they have failed, he shows them how easy it is to break the sticks one at a time after untying the bundle.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?
Hint

Persistence will lead to success

Take one step at a time

Union gives strength

With age comes wisdom

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. "The Dog in the Manger" snaps at the ox on whose food it was taking a nap, preventing the ox from having its dinner.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

First come, first served

Let sleeping dogs lie

To him who has shall be given abundance

Some begrudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" tells of a wolf who uses the pelt of a dead sheep as a disguise in order to get close enough to the flock to enjoy a series of tasty meals.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

Better a live wolf than a dead sheep

Beauty is only skin deep

Appearances can be deceptive

Clothes make the man

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. "The Wind and the Sun" have a wager to see which can first force a traveler to remove his coat. The Wind blows and blusters, to no avail. The Sun shines, the traveler gets warm, and the coat comes off.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

Smile and the world smiles with you

Kindness effects more than severity

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows

Let a smile be your umbrella

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. In "The Goose With the Golden Eggs" we read of a farmer who discovers he has a goose that lays golden eggs. Eager to get all the gold at once, rather than one egg a day, he kills the goose only to find that there is nothing special inside.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

An egg in the hand is worth two in the bush

He who crows last crows best

Don't count your goslings before they hatch

Greed oft o'er reaches itself

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. "The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle" tells of two cocks fighting for supremacy of the barnyard. The winner flies to the top of a wall in order to celebrate his victory, where he is captured by an eagle, leaving the other cock to reign supreme.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

Coming second is not losing

Look before you leap

Pride goes before destruction

Winners are grinners

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. In "The Thief and His Mother", a boy steals a book, and shows it to his mother, who praises him for his cleverness. The boy grows to pursue a life of crime before being caught and sentenced to death. Approaching the place of execution, he sees his mother, beckons her near, and bites off her ear.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

Spare the rod and spoil the child

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

Never trust a thief

How sharper than a serpent's tooth is an ungrateful child

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. "The Hare and the Tortoise" tells of the race between these two animals, ill-matched for speed. The Hare is so confident of his ability to win that he lies down for a nap, and is overtaken by the steadily-plodding tortoise.

So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned? Hint

Hare today, goon tomorrow

Slow but steady wins the race

The last will be first, and the first will be last

You snooze, you lose

Most Recent Scores

Dec 20 2024 : Guest 178: 8/10
Dec 19 2024 : Guest 172: 9/10
Dec 19 2024 : billine: 7/10
Dec 14 2024 : Coromom: 7/10
Dec 14 2024 : Sandpiper18: 7/10
Dec 14 2024 : alan56: 8/10
Dec 14 2024 : ken kramer: 5/10
Dec 14 2024 : Sharky2: 3/10
Dec 14 2024 : notsosmart49: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper", a grasshopper tries to convince an ant who is struggling to carry an ear of corn back to its nest that it would be better to stop and enjoy the lovely day. In the winter, as it lies on the verge of death from starvation, the grasshopper realizes its folly. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity

This fable is a favorite of parents who want to encourage forethought in their children. It can even be applied to such situations as having spent all your allowance before the ice cream van comes around! As the grasshopper watches the ant colony distributing the food stored through so much labor while he enjoyed himself, he realizes that there was sense in thinking ahead, and being prepared for the difficult times that were in store for them all.

2. In "Androcles", a slave removes a thorn from the paw of a lion who then provides him with food until they are both captured and (eventually) sent to the arena. Despite being semi-starved, the lion recognizes Androcles and greets him like a dog. Androcles and the lion are both freed by the Emperor in recognition of their noble behavior. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Gratitude is the sign of noble souls

The Emperor pardons and frees Androcles because of his noble action in freeing the lion from pain instead of running away from the fierce wild beast in fear. As a tribute to the lion's nobility of spirit in refusing to eat the man to whom he owed a debt of gratitude, the lion was released and returned to his native land.

3. In "The Bundle of Sticks", we read of an old man who summons his sons to his deathbed, and asks them to break a bundle of sticks. After they have failed, he shows them how easy it is to break the sticks one at a time after untying the bundle. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Union gives strength

The official moral of strength in unity can also be paraphrased as 'United we stand, divided we fall', which is given as the moral of the fable "The Four Oxen and the Lion", and has been a popular motto for a variety of political causes. The fable could also be seen as encouraging lateral thinking when faced with a difficult problem.

4. "The Dog in the Manger" snaps at the ox on whose food it was taking a nap, preventing the ox from having its dinner. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Some begrudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves

While it is a good idea not to waken sleeping dogs, Aesop's moral related to the dog's selfishness in refusing to let the ox eat what would have nourished it, and which provided no sustenance for the dog. This fable has provided the phrase 'a dog in the manger' to describe someone who, like Aesop's dog, spitefully prevents others from enjoying themselves.

5. "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" tells of a wolf who uses the pelt of a dead sheep as a disguise in order to get close enough to the flock to enjoy a series of tasty meals. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Appearances can be deceptive

This fable is the origin of the phrase 'a wolf in sheep's clothing', usually used in the same sense as here. There is another fable of the same name, in which the wolf hides with the sheep in their pen, and is selected (and subsequently eaten) when the farmer grabs a sheep to cook in the middle of the night.

The moral of this version is 'Harm seek, harm find' - if you seek to do harm, it is likely that harm will be done to you.

6. "The Wind and the Sun" have a wager to see which can first force a traveler to remove his coat. The Wind blows and blusters, to no avail. The Sun shines, the traveler gets warm, and the coat comes off. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Kindness effects more than severity

The moral of this tale could equally be not to make foolish bets! Had the Wind bet on which one could make the traveler put on his hat, scarf and gloves, it would have had a chance. Another version of the fable, "The North Wind and the Sun", words the moral as 'Persuasion is better than force'.

7. In "The Goose With the Golden Eggs" we read of a farmer who discovers he has a goose that lays golden eggs. Eager to get all the gold at once, rather than one egg a day, he kills the goose only to find that there is nothing special inside. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Greed oft o'er reaches itself

Alternative morals are also given as 'Greed destroys the source of good', 'Those who want too much lose everything', and 'Think before you act'. In the 1971 film "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", Willie Wonka demonstrates a goose that lays gold-wrapped chocolate eggs, a goose of which he takes excellent care!

8. "The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle" tells of two cocks fighting for supremacy of the barnyard. The winner flies to the top of a wall in order to celebrate his victory, where he is captured by an eagle, leaving the other cock to reign supreme. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Pride goes before destruction

Aesop is not the only source for this moral lesson. The biblical "Book of Proverbs" tells us (Chapter 16, verse 18) that 'Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall' (King James Version). This is often paraphrased as 'pride goes before a fall'.

The overconfident and arrogant pride demonstrated in this fable is often termed 'hubris', although the ancient Greek use of that term referred to acts that were more shameful than foolish.

9. In "The Thief and His Mother", a boy steals a book, and shows it to his mother, who praises him for his cleverness. The boy grows to pursue a life of crime before being caught and sentenced to death. Approaching the place of execution, he sees his mother, beckons her near, and bites off her ear. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Spare the rod and spoil the child

When the mother calls her son an ingrate, he replies that his doom is all her fault - had she punished him for his first theft, he would never have been seduced into the life that led to his downfall. This moral is in sharp contrast to many of the others, in which personal responsibility for one's actions is encouraged.

The fable "The Lark Burying Her Father" carries the moral 'Youth's first duty is reverence to parents'. Clearly, it's important to choose your fables carefully to make the desired point.

10. "The Hare and the Tortoise" tells of the race between these two animals, ill-matched for speed. The Hare is so confident of his ability to win that he lies down for a nap, and is overtaken by the steadily-plodding tortoise. So the story goes - and what is the moral to be learned?

Answer: Slow but steady wins the race

This well-known fable has been the inspiration for a number of cartoons, including three Looney Tunes cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny and Cecil Turtle - "Tortoise Beats Hare" (1941), "Tortoise wins By a Hare" (1943), and "Rabbit Transit" (1947). 'Hare today, goon tomorrow' is the moral for a children's song about Little Bunny Foo Foo, who bops field mice on the head until the Good Fairy turns him into a goon as a punishment for his behavior. 'You snooze, you lose' is used as a snappy contemporary warning to stay on one's toes in a competitive environment.

Source: Author looney_tunes

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
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