Aesop
|
Greece

The Lamp

A boastful Lamp learns humility after the Wind blows out its flame, teaching it to shine more quietly
Humility
Boasting
Contentment
The Lamp
Audio available for B1 version

Once, in a small town, there lived a bright Lamp. The Lamp shone brightly every night, casting a golden glow on everything around it. One day, it began to boast, "See how bright I am? My light is as brilliant as the Sun itself!"

Just then, a gust of Wind blew through the window. The Wind heard the Lamp's bragging and decided to teach it a lesson. With a mighty puff, the Wind blew out the Lamp's flame, plunging the room into darkness.

The Master of the house, who had heard the Lamp's boasting and seen the Wind's actions, walked over to the extinguished Lamp. With a matchstick, he re-lit the flame, bringing the golden glow back into the room.

As he lit the Lamp, the Master spoke softly, "Lamp, your light is indeed beautiful and bright. But remember, it is wise not to boast about your brightness. Be content with what you are and do your job quietly."

From then on, the Lamp never boasted again, but shone quietly, content in its place.

In a small town, there is a Lamp. The Lamp is bright. Every night, the Lamp lights up. Everything looks gold.

One day, the Lamp says, "Look how bright I am! My light is as strong as the Sun!"

A Wind comes in through the window. The Wind hears the Lamp. The Wind wants to teach a lesson. The Wind blows hard. The Lamp goes out. The room is dark.

The owner of the house hears the Lamp. He sees the Wind. He goes to the Lamp. He has a small stick. The stick can make fire. He lights the Lamp again. Everything is gold again.

The owner says, "Lamp, you are very bright. But don't talk too much. Be happy and light up quietly."

The Lamp learns. It does not talk big again. It gives light quietly. The Lamp is happy.

In a small town, there was a bright lamp in a house. Every night, it would light up, making everything around it look warm and golden. But one day, the lamp started to boast, "Look how bright I shine! I'm as bright as the sun!"

Just then, a wind blew in through the window. Hearing the lamp's bragging, the wind decided to teach it a lesson. With a strong blow, the wind put out the lamp's light, making the room completely dark.

The owner of the house, who heard the lamp's boasting and saw what the wind did, came over with a matchstick. He relit the lamp, and the golden light filled the room again.

As he lit the lamp, the owner said softly, "Lamp, your light is beautiful and bright. But it's better not to brag. Be happy with who you are and do your work quietly."

After that day, the lamp stopped bragging and just shone in its place, happy and content.

In a little town where even the squirrels said "please" and "thank you," there lived a bright Lamp. It was so proud of its glow, it would say, "Look at me, I'm as bright as the Sun! I bet I could even help Mr. Sun with his shining job!"

Just then, a gust of Wind blew through the window, hearing the Lamp's words. Wind chuckled and said, "Bright as the Sun, you say? Well, Mr. Lamp, the Sun wears sunglasses to look at me!"

Lamp giggled and replied, "Really, Wind? Then let's see who's the brightest of them all!"

Wind thought this was a funny challenge and said, "Alright, Lamp, but remember, sometimes it's nice to be bright, but it's also good to be just right!" And with a playful puff, the Wind blew out the Lamp's flame, making the room as dark as a chocolate cake.

The Master of the house, who had been listening to the whole conversation, walked over to the extinguished Lamp, smiling. With a matchstick, he re-lit the flame, filling the room with that lovely golden glow once more.

"Lamp," the Master said with a chuckle, "Your light is as lovely as a rainbow after the rain. But let's not boast about our brightness. Being who you are and doing your job quietly is like wearing comfy pajamas. It just feels right!"

From then on, the Lamp shone quietly and happily, content in its place. But sometimes, when the Wind would blow through the window, they would both have a little laugh, remembering the day they had their funny brightness contest. They became the best of friends, sharing jokes and lighting up the room, in more ways than one.

In a cozy town, not too profound,
A Lamp stood proud, its light unbound.
Golden and bright, like the midday sun,
It boasted aloud, “Isn’t my light fun?”

But as it spoke, the Wind did fly,
Through an open window, from the sky.
With a swift, strong gust, it took its stand,
And snuffed out the Lamp with an unseen hand.

The room turned dark, the glow was gone,
Till the Master arrived, and drew the dawn.
With a tiny match, he struck a light,
Returning the room to a golden sight.

“Dear Lamp,” he whispered, with wisdom to show,
“Pride dims the brightest glow we know.
Shine on, but let your light humbly gleam,
And be the beacon, of a silent dream.”

From that moment, with pride kept at bay,
The Lamp lit the room, in a quiet way.
Without a brag, without a boast,
It spread its warmth, from coast to coast.

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Word Finder

  1. Lamp

    A thing that gives light in the dark.

  2. Bright

    Giving a lot of light; not dark.

  3. Strong

    Having much power or force.

  4. Wind

    Air that moves outside.

  5. Lesson

    Something you learn from a story or experience.

  6. Blows

    Moves air strongly; like the wind.

  7. Dark

    With no light; black.

  8. Owner

    The person who has something.

  9. Stick

    A small piece of wood.

  10. Quietly

    Without making much noise or sound.

  1. Bright

    Giving off strong light; shiny.

  2. Boast

    Talk proudly about one's achievements or qualities.

  3. Shine

    To give out a bright light.

  4. Golden

    Having a shiny, yellow color.

  5. Bragging

    Talking about oneself with too much pride.

  6. Blew

    Moved air forcefully; past of blow.

  7. Decided

    Made a choice or judgment.

  8. Lesson

    A thing to be learned or taught.

  9. Relit

    Lit again; made something shine once more.

  10. Quietly

    Making little or no noise; silently.

Understanding Questions

  1. What does the Lamp do every night?

    1. It sleeps.
    2. It lights up.
    3. It goes out.
    4. It talks.
  2. What does the Lamp say about its light?

    1. "My light is weak."
    2. "My light is as strong as the Sun."
    3. "My light is blue."
    4. "My light is soft."
  3. Who comes in through the window?

    1. The owner.
    2. The Sun.
    3. The Wind.
    4. The Moon.
  4. What does the Wind do to the Lamp?

    1. Makes it brighter.
    2. Blows it out.
    3. Cleans it.
    4. Takes it away.
  5. What does the owner use to light the Lamp again?

    1. A candle.
    2. A paper.
    3. A small stick.
    4. A flashlight.
  1. What did the lamp claim about its brightness?
  2. How did the wind react to the lamp's bragging?
  3. What happened to the lamp when the wind blew in?
  4. How did the owner of the house relight the lamp?
  5. What lesson did the owner of the house give to the lamp?
  1. What did the lamp boast about, and how did the wind react to it?
  2. Describe the effect of the wind's powerful blow on the lamp.
  3. How did the house's owner respond to the lamp's boasting and the wind's action?
  4. What lesson did the owner teach the lamp after relighting it?
  5. How did the lamp's behavior change after the owner's advice?

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the Lamp was boasting about its brightness?
  2. What did the Wind do when it heard the Lamp's bragging?
  3. Can you recall a time when someone's bragging caused them a problem?
  4. What does this story teach us about boasting and being content with what we are?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our daily life?

Fable Quotes

True light shines not in its brightness but in its ability to guide others.
A boastful flame may flicker brightly, but it risks being extinguished by the winds of humility.
True contentment lies in embracing one's purpose, shining brightly without the need for validation or boast.
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