The Lark and Her Young Ones is an English fairy tale from Aesop’s fables with vocabulary practice in real context and podcast narrated by Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl for intermediate learners of English.
Source of story: Gutenberg Project at www.gutenberg.org
The Lark and Her Young Ones
A lark had made her nest in the early spring on the young green wheat. The brood had almost grown to their full strength and attained the use of their wings and the full plumage of their feathers, when the owner of the field, looking over his ripe crop, said, “The time has come when I must ask all my neighbors to help me with my harvest.”
- brood: young, offspring, litter
- plumage: feathers of birds collectively
One of the young Larks heard his speech and related it to his mother, inquiring of her to what place they should move for safety.
- related: narrated, recounted
“There is no occasion to move yet, my son,” she replied; “the man who only sends to his friends to help him with his harvest is not really in earnest.”
- in earnest: not in jest
The owner of the field came again a few days later and saw the wheat shedding the grain from excess of ripeness. He said, “I will come myself tomorrow with my laborers, and with as many reapers as I can hire, and will get in the harvest.”
- grain: small seeds of cereals
The Lark on hearing these words said to her brood, “It is time now to be off, my little ones, for the man is in earnest this time; he no longer trusts his friends, but will reap the field himself.”
Self-help is the best help.
Podcast of The Lark and Her Young Ones
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Questions for discussion
- Why was the mother lark worried about the farmer’s words, even though the harvest seemed far off?
- What was the difference between the mother lark’s reaction to the farmer’s words the first time and the second time?
- What lesson can we learn from the way the mother lark handled the situation with her young ones?
that you should listen to people who want to help you
-Rozita
That’s right. taking our friends’ advice is a wise thing to do. Yet, I think the point you’re making is not the central message of this short story, i.e. the lark and her young ones.