The story of "The Tortoise and the Hare" is one of Aesop's fables. This story relates how a boastful hare challenges a slow tortoise to a race only to lose the race because he takes a nap in the middle of the race. The story famously ends with the lines, "Slow and steady wins the race." The moral of the story to reiterate to preschoolers is that they should take their time to do a task well.
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf" tells the story of a shepherd who cries out for help to the local townspeople, claiming that a wolf is after his flock of sheep. The local townspeople run to his aid and he laughs at them. He tricks them several times. As a result, when a real wolf appears, no one believes him when he calls for help. When telling this story to preschoolers, emphasize that joking can go too far and they should never mislead others. Tell them that if they give people reasons to mistrust them, no one will believe them when they are telling the truth.
"The Little Red Hen" is a fable about a hen that works hard all day gathering ingredients and preparing cakes. None of the other farm animals bother to help her, despite her asking for assistance. When the cakes are baked and smelling delicious, the farm animals gather around hoping to eat. But the Little Red Hen refuses to share because no one helped her. This story teaches young preschoolers about hard work and its rewards. The moral of the story is that people reap what they sow.
"The Lion and the Mouse" is an Aesop fable about how kind acts are reciprocated. This story relates how a lion was disturbed from his nap by mice scurrying about him. He swatted the mice away and caught one in his paw. The mouse pleaded for his life and the lion took pity on it and set the creature free. Days later, the lion was caught in a hunter's trap and he roared for help. The little mouse came back and used its sharp teeth to gnaw the ropes and set the lion free. This story teaches young children that if they demonstrate kindness to others, others will demonstrate kindness back. The story also reinforces that when trouble strikes, it is important to have friends.