The story The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed is a folktale and Don’t Count Your Chickens is written in the style of a folktale. In many folktales, some characters are rewarded for their positive qualities or values. Other characters are punished or do not have success due to their negative qualities or values. The characters and events teach the reader a lesson about life. What life lesson or important values do you think the younger brothers in the two stories help readers understand? Write a three-paragraph essay that tells your response. Paragraph 1: Write an introductory paragraph that identifies the main characters in The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed and Don’t Count Your Chickens. Tell what life lesson or important values the younger brothers in the two stories help the readers understand. Paragraph 2: Explain how the qualities or values of the younger brothers in the stories are different from those of their older brothers. Use details from the stories to contrast the character traits and points of view of the younger brothers with those of their older brothers. Paragraph 3: Explain what you think the authors want readers to learn from the younger brothers in the stories. Tell how the plot events and the authors’ use of language and literary devices to support your ideas. End your paragraph with a sentence that restates the lesson or values that the characters in the stories convey to readers. Use details from the stories to support your ideas in the essay.
In The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed, the main characters are the youngest son, Pumpkinseed, and his older brothers. Pumpkinseed is rewarded for his hard work, kindness, and humility, while his older brothers are punished for their laziness, greed, and arrogance. The life lesson that Pumpkinseed helps readers understand is that hard work, kindness, and humility are important qualities that lead to success and happiness.
In contrast, in Don’t Count Your Chickens, the main characters are the youngest brother, who is not named, and his older brothers. The youngest brother is rewarded for his humility, patience, and respect for nature, while his older brothers are punished for their arrogance, impatience, and lack of respect. The life lesson that the youngest brother helps readers understand is that humility, patience, and respect for nature are important values that lead to success and harmony with the world around us.
The authors of these stories want readers to learn that positive qualities, such as hard work, kindness, humility, patience, and respect, are important for success and happiness in life. The plot events in the stories show how the younger brothers' positive qualities lead to their success, while the older brothers' negative qualities lead to their downfall. The authors use language and literary devices to highlight the contrast between the characters' qualities and to emphasize the importance of positive values. Ultimately, the lesson that the characters convey to readers is that embracing positive qualities and values will lead to a fulfilling and successful life.