Learning from Fables : Moral Values in Three Selected English Stories

Fable is not just a fun story, but it certainly has the moral lesson(s) inside of the storyline. This research tries to portray ethical value(s) in three selected English fable stories as well as to let the readers know that they can learn something from the fables. With this study, the researcher also correlated the value(s) to real life and Islamic views. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher employed qualitative research design with descriptive analysis as an attempt to provide an in-depth and comprehensive explanation of the data. The data of this study, based on the researcher’s random survey on Primary and Junior High Schools students on January –June 2015, are three selected English fable stories entitled “The Rabbit and the Turtle, The Fox and the Goat, and The Monkey and the Crocodile”. The results indicate that each fable has, at least, a moral lesson in its narrative, among others: Never underestimate the weakest opponent, Never give up is the key of success, Look before you leap, Being smart helps better in life, and Trust is the basis of the relationship.


A. Introduction
We might often hear people say that reading helps us enrich our knowledge, it is indeed correct because it facilitates people try to comprehend the meaning of written text and know something which they might not have heard or known before.As what Nuttal (1982) says that reading is defined as understanding the interpret of meaning the researcher only analyzes three selected English fables, entitled The Rabbit and the Turtle, The Fox and the Goat, and The Monkey and the Crocodile.

B. Research Methodology
In conducting this research, the researcher used qualitative research design with descriptive analysis because it is suitable with the purpose of the study.The main objectives of the present research are to give the portrayal of moral lesson consisting in each selected story and correlate them with real life and religious perspectives.According to Marshall & Rossman (1999), the intention of doing qualitative research, historically, has been "to explore, explain, or describe the phenomenon of interest".What Marshall and Rossman have said is in line with what the researcher wanted to do.
In an attempt of describing ethic values in fables, the researcher has decided to select three English narratives considering the length of the paper and the in-depth analysis of the fable texts.The tales selection, actually, was based on the stories' popularity among school children.The researcher, once again, did a survey to random primary and junior high school students about English fable stories they have previously read or heard.It was more than 50% pupils enjoyed reading The Rabbit and the Turtle, The Fox and the Goat, and The Monkey and the Crocodile.Those three fable's titles were the most frequent answer given by students.(Researcher's survey on January -June 2015).The result of survey above was the reason of choosing the fable's stories as the main data for this study.
Another consideration of carrying out this research was a careful way of collecting and analyzing data.It is very important to use appropriate procedures in order to make sure the study is in its track.The researcher, to achieve the purpose of the study, did the following steps: (1).Selecting fable texts by doing a preliminary investigation to the firm and tight stories read or heard by school students, (2).Searching for the texts of three selected fable narratives, (3).Reading the tales carefully and repeatedly as an effort to comprehend their meaning and messages, (4).Marking words, phrases, clauses, and also sentences which indicate the moral lesson in the stories, (5).Analyzing the findings and discussing them by presenting comprehensive explanation and description and, if possible, relating the messages to the social life and Islamic perspectives and the last step was (6).Concluding the analysis of the results.

C. Findings and Discussion
As it has been mentioned in the method section, there are three different fable tales are discussed in the analysis part.The researcher, technically, describes moral lessons in each story separately to show the readers that every fable surely has, at least, a moral principle and it might be distinct from the others.In the beginning of this analysis section, the researcher wants to display the findings after reading, comprehending, marking, and also analyzing three dissimilar stories in the following The findings above are the general overview of points which are specifically explained in the following detail containing the stories, quotes, as well as discussion.The explanation of stories is presented in order (see table 1).

The Rabbit and the Turtle Story 1
One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run.He was laughing at the turtle for being so slow.Much to the rabbit's surprise, the turtle challenged him to a race.The rabbit thought this was a good joke and accepted the challenge.The fox was to be the umpire of the race.As the race began, the rabbit raced way ahead of the turtle, just like everyone thought.
The rabbit got to the halfway point and could not see the turtle anywhere.He was hot and tired and decided to stop and take a short nap.Even if the turtle passed him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him.All this time the turtle kept walking step by step by step.He never quit no matter how hot or tired he got.He just kept going.
However, the rabbit slept longer than he had thought and woke up.He could not see the turtle anywhere!He went at full-speed to the finish line but found the turtle there waiting for him.(www.moralstories.org,n.d.)

Discussion
After doing a careful analysis on the story, the researcher, leastwise, gets two important moral principles in the story.The first value is from rabbit's side, which is "Never underestimate the weakest opponent".The researcher gets this after reading the whole story; and, the first clue can obviously be seen in the first two lines of the tale.
"One day a rabbit was boasting about how fast he could run.He was laughing at the turtle of being so slow" (lines 1-2, paragraph 1) The first sentence of the quote above shows rabbit's arrogance over his friends by telling others that he can run quickly.The next line indicates the way he looks down on one of his friends "a turtle" by ridiculing him of being so sluggish when he is doing the activities such as walking.The citation also implies that rabbit labels turtle as a weak creature.Having been mocked by the rabbit over and over, turtle feels uncomfortable and dares rabbit in racing competition.
"The rabbit thought it was a joke and accepted the challenge"(line 3, paragraph 1) The rabbit, once again, disparages his slow friend.The words "a joke" in the excerpt above bear a meaning for something which is not serious or funny.In the context of the story, the words mean that rabbit considers the race invitation as a pleasure thing without even considering it seriously.Another clue of the judgment, finally, is in the following quotation.
"Even if the turtle passed him, he would be able to race to the finish line ahead of him"(lines7-8, paragraph 2) The line represents rabbit's thought to win the race.He is strongly confident that he will be the winner even if the turtle passes him.Having that thought, he, still, underrates turtle.His confidence suddenly fades away after he finds out that his slow opponent can finish the race earlier.Similarly, Indonesian fable entitles "The Elephant and the Ant" also has the same message as the story of rabbit and turtle, but surely, different characters and storyline.
In real life context, underestimating others is a negative attitude which causes us being called "arrogant", and the worst effect of this behaviour is living alone without any friends.The prohibition of this kind of personality can also be seen from Islamic perspective, Allah says in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Hujarat (The rooms), and verse 11: "O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them" (www.quran.com,n.d.) In short, as social and religious humans, we need to respect the others without even having any thoughts that we are better than them because it might lead us to be useless persons and end up being alone.
Another ethic value from the story is from turtle's side "Never give up is the key of success".This idea comes from some lines in paragraph two of the story, as quoted in the following: "All this time the turtle kept walking step by step.He never quit no matter how hot or tired he got.He just kept going" (lines 8-9, paragraph 2) The lines of the story above clearly show on turtle's serious effort in a race.It might seem impossible, at first, to do.However, with a strong motivation, work hard, as well as an endless venture, he eventually achieves what he wants and proves to the others that being slow does not mean loose in every aspect of life.The story, in real life context, also signifies that success in someone's life certainly depends on his/her serious attempts in which the more s/he tries, the better result it will be.
In the Qur'an, from the Islamic point of view, Allah SWT also suggests or recommends humans to work hard seriously, and to never give up for every effort (s)he is doing.Surah Yusuf (Joseph), verse 87 in the following obviously explains that being desperate or hopeless is a negative attitude and the people who keep that personality include to ungrateful persons.
"O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah.Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."(www.quran.com,n.d.)

The Fox and the Goat Story 2
Once a fox was roaming around in the dark.Unfortunately, he fell into a well.He tried his level best to come out but all in vain.So, he had no other alternative but to remain there till the next morning.The next day, a goat came that way.She peeped into the well and saw the fox there.The goat asked "what are you doing there, Mr. Fox?" The sly fox replied, "I came here to drink water.It is the best I have ever tasted.Come and see for yourself."Without thinking even for a while, the goat jumped into the well, quenched her thirst and looked for a way to get out.But just like the fox, she also found herself helpless to come out.
Then the fox said, "I have an idea.You stand on your hind legs.I'll climb on your head and get out.Then I shall help you come out too."The goat was innocent enough to understand the shrewdness of the fox and did as the fox said and help him get out of the well.
While walking away, the fox said, "Had you been intelligent enough, you would never have got in without seeing how to get out."(www.moralstories.org,n.d.)

Discussion
The researcher, for this fable, does a thorough reading in order to get the appropriate life moral message(s) from the story.There had been many ideas that represent the story; nevertheless, he ends up with one general conclusion, which is "Look before you leap".
"Without thinking even for a while, the goat jumped into the well, quenched her thirst and looked for a way to get out" (lines 6-7, paragraph 2).
A sentence in the citation above explicitly shows goat's foolishness because she directly believes what a fox says about.The words "without thinking even for a while" strengthens the researcher's opinion on how stupid the goat is because she does not consider the consequences of her act or see her surrounding carefully.Other lines which support the researcher's conclusion on the story's moral principle are in the following: "The goat was innocent enough to understand the shrewdness of the fox and did as the fox said and help him get out of the well" (lines 10-11, paragraph 3) Having been deceived earlier, the goat, still, cannot think clearly and trust fox utterances.It causes her do the same mistake as she did before.The words "did as the fox said and help him get out of the well" confirm the researcher's judgment on the story moral lesson.We, whenever and wherever, have to consider the positive and negative consequences of our doings, so we can anticipate the worst effects we might get and not become like the goat in the story.
In Islamic teaching, Allah SWT in the Qur'an beckons all Muslims to think before they do something.He categorizes the one who is not using his/ her reason to act as poor, deaf, and also stupid living creatures.Surah Al-Anfal (the spoils of war), verse 22 in the following quote explicitly states about it.
"Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason."(www.quran.com,n.d.) In conclusion, from the story we can learn that we, as creatures who are completed with brain and thoughts, need to filter or process all information, such as news, requests, as well as instructions by considering their benefits and drawbacks before deciding to commit an action on those matters.The aim of filtering the information is to prevent the worst consequence which possibly occurs in the near future.

The Monkey and the Crocodile Story 3
Once upon a time, a clever monkey lived in a tree that bore juicy, red rose apples.He was very happy.One fine day, a crocodile swam up to that tree and told the monkey that he had traveled a long distance and was in search of food as he was very hungry.The kind monkey offered him a few rose apples.The crocodile enjoyed them very much and asked the monkey whether he could come again for some more fruit.The generous monkey happily agreed.
The crocodile returned the next day.And the next.And the next one after that.Soon the two became very good friends.They discussed their lives, their friends and family, like all friends do.The crocodile told the monkey that he had a wife and that they lived on the other side of the river.So the kind monkey offered him some extra rose apples to take home to his wife.The crocodile's wife loved the rose apples and made her husband promise to get her some every day.
Meanwhile, the friendship between the monkey and the crocodile deepened as they spent more and more time together.The crocodile's wife started getting jealous.She wanted to put an end to this friendship.So she pretended that she could not believe that her husband could be friends with a monkey.Her husband tried to convince her that he and the monkey shared a true friendship.The crocodile's wife thought to herself that if the monkey lived on a diet of rose monkeys, his flesh would be very sweet.So she asked the crocodile to invite the monkey to their house.
The crocodile was not happy about this.He tried to make the excuse that it would be difficult to get the monkey across the river.But his wife was determined to eat the monkey's flesh.So she thought of a plan.One day, she pretended to be very ill and told the crocodile that the doctor said that she would only recover if she ate a monkey's heart.If her husband wanted to save her life, he must bring her his friend's heart.
The crocodile was aghast.He was in a dilemma.On the one hand, he loved his friend.On the other, he could not possibly let his wife die.The crocodile's wife threatened him saying that if he did not get her the monkey's heart, she would surely die.
So the crocodile went to the rose apple tree and invited the monkey to come home to meet his wife.He told the monkey that he could ride across the river on the crocodile's back.The monkey happily agreed.As they reached the middle of the river, the crocodile began to sink.The frightened monkey asked him why he was doing that.The crocodile explained that he would have to kill the monkey to save his wife's life.The clever monkey told him that he would gladly give up his heart to save the life of the crocodile's wife, but he had left his heart behind in the rose apple tree.He asked the crocodile to make haste and turn back so that the monkey could go get his heart from the apple tree.
The silly crocodile quickly swam back to the rose apple tree.The monkey scampered up the tree to safety.He told the crocodile to tell his wicked wife that she had married the biggest fool in the world.(www.moralstories.org,n.d.)

Discussion
The last fable is rather a long story, and, to be honest, is a little bit harder to get the points of moral values if we read it hastily.The researcher eventually concludes two basic lessons which can be learned after comprehending the whole text.The first point is "Being smart helps better in life".This idea comes from understanding the character of monkey shown in the whole story.
"Once upon a time, a clever monkey lived in a tree that bore juicy, red rose apples" (line 1, paragraph 1) The tale excerpt from the first line of the story describes that one of the characters "monkey" is a clever animal.The word clever, cited from Oxford Dictionary (2010), literally means "quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas" It denotes that monkey is quite smart.Aside from his intelligence, he is also completed with some other good personality traits, such as happy, kind and also generous.These positive characters can be seen in the following citations."He was very happy" (line 2, paragraph 1) "The kind monkey offered him a few rose apples" (lines 3-4, paragraph 1) "The generous monkey happily agreed" (lines 5-6, paragraph 1) The lines above noticeably show how complete monkey's personalities are, however, being cheerful, nice, and charitable, without being smart, might not help him face his encountered problems in his life.This researcher's point of view is supported by the lines from the story in the following quotation.
"The clever monkey told him that he would gladly give up his heart to save the life of the crocodile's wife, but he had left his heart behind in the rose apple tree.He asked the crocodile to make haste and turn back so that the monkey could go get his heart from the apple tree" (lines 32-36, paragraph 6)