World Literature (Aesop Fables)｜世界文学（イソップ童話）Lesson58: The Vain Jackdaw and his Borrowed Feathers

PART A_1

Let’s learn vocabulary. Listen and repeat the words and the sentences with your tutor.

PART A_2

1.　splendid	/SPLEN-did/
	-excellent, or beautiful and impressive
	The food at the newly opened restaurant was splendid.
2.　plumage	/PLOO-mij/
	-the feathers that cover a bird
	The parrot with colorful plumage caught my attention.
3.　castoff	/KAST-awf/
	-thrown away, rejected, or discarded
	The castoff fabrics turned into a stunning dress.
4.　finery	/FAHY-nuh-ree/
	-beautiful clothing and jewelry worn on a special occasion
	Different types of finery were featured in a recent fashion show.
5.　loftily	/lawf-tee-lee/
	-in a way that shows you think you are better than other people
	Critics claimed loftily that the actress is pretentious.

PART B_1

Let’s read the story. Please read them aloud, and I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

PART B_2

The Vain Jackdaw and His Borrowed Feathers

A Jackdaw chanced to fly over the garden of the King’s palace. There he saw with much wonder and envy a flock of royal Peacocks in all the glory of their splendid plumage.

Now the black Jackdaw was not a very handsome bird, nor very refined in manner. Yet he imagined that all he needed to make himself fit for the society of the Peacocks was a dress like theirs. So he picked up some castoff feathers of the Peacocks and stuck them among his own black plumes.

Dressed in his borrowed finery he strutted loftily among the birds of his own kind. Then he flew down into the garden among the Peacocks. But they soon saw who he was. Angry at the cheat, they flew at him, plucking away the borrowed feathers and also some of his own.

The poor Jackdaw returned sadly to his former companions. There another unpleasant surprise awaited him. They had not forgotten his superior airs toward them, and, to punish him, they drove him away with a rain of pecks and jeers.

Borrowed feathers do not make fine birds.

PART C_1

Let’s answer comprehension questions. Please answer them based on the story.

PART C_2

1.	What did the Jackdaw see after flying over the garden, and how did he feel about it?
2.	How did the Jackdaw try to be more like the Peacocks?
3.	How did the Peacocks react to the Jackdaw’s attempt to be like them?

PART D_1

Let’s discuss the story. Please answer the questions below and express your opinions.

PART D_2

1.	What trait of the Jackdaw should be reformed? Please explain your answer.
2.	Is it acceptable for the Jackdaw to be driven away by his superiors for what he did? Why or why not?
3.	Do you agree with the fable’s moral? Why or why not?
4.	What is your opinion about vanity?
5.	What do you think are the limitations of idolizing someone?

REVIEW AND FEEDBACK

Now, let us review the things that you learned in this lesson.

ではこのレッスンで学んだことを振り返りましょう。

(Please give a short feedback on how your student did on your class.)

	Grammar 文法	Pronunciation 発音	Vocabulary 単語	Comprehension 理解
GOOD	文法の誤りはほとんどなく、完全な文章で話すことができる	ほとんどの単語をはっきりと正しく発音することができる	習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を理解し、質問に正しく答えることができる
FAIR	文法の誤りはあるが、完全な文章で話すことができる	発音の練習が必要な言葉がいくつかある	たまにミスはあるが、習った表現を適切に使うことができる	文章を完全に理解するのは難しく、質問に正しく答えられないときもある
POOR	文章で話すのは難しく、単語だけで話すことができる	発音の練習が必要である	習った単語と表現を少しだけ使うことができる	文章を理解するのは難しく、質問に答えるのは難しい

TUTOR FEEDBACK

GRAMMAR
Good:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with minimal grammatical errors.
Fair:	Was able to speak in complete sentences with evident grammatical errors.
Poor:	Was able to speak using words only.
PRONUNCIATION
Good:	Was able to pronounce most of the words clearly and correctly.
Fair:	Mispronounced a few words.
Poor:	Mispronounced most of the words.
VOCABULARY
Good:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class.
Fair:	Used appropriate expressions learned in class and made a few errors in word choice.
Poor:	Used only a few words and expressions.
COMPREHENSION
Good:	Was able to understand the passages and answer the questions correctly.
Fair:	Had a little difficulty in understanding passages and answering questions.
Poor:	Had a hard time understanding passages and answering questions.

Parts of this lesson material are based on:
An eBook from The Project Gutenberg.
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