The Three Little Rabbits: A Balkan Folktale
Retold and Illustrated by Ivan Gantschev
Translated by J. Alison James
North-South Books, 2002
Picture Books, Traditional Literature K-2
Summary: Once upon a time there lived three little rabbits. When they were grown up, their father sent them out to see the world. He told them to build a safe rabbit hole to hide in from the fox. The rabbits were excited to be on their own, and two rabbits decided not to follow his father’s orders. The first rabbit built a nest of branches, hay, and moss. When he smelt the fox, he knew that he was not safe, for he had nowhere to hide. When the fox asked him to come out and play, the rabbit ran from the fox as fast as he could. The second rabbit also thought that building a nest would take too long. He built a jut make of branches, moss, and leaves. When the fox came, he also realized he did not have a safe place to hide and he ran as fast as he could from the fox while the fox searched his hut. The third rabbit dug a nice, deep burrow. When the fox came, she had a safe place to retreat. The fox eventually got stuck digging through the ground to try to reach the rabbit. Rabbit made fox promise that he would no longer chase his brothers. Then rabbit pushed the fox out of her burrow. The other two rabbits took time to dig their own safe, warm burrows.
Response: I like this book even more than the traditional three little pigs story. While the stories share the same plot, I enjoyed the characters of the three little rabbits more. This may be because rabbits were my favorite animal growing up. I also like the fact that the rabbits did not get eaten like the first two pigs who did not build a sturdy house. I also like the fact that the rabbits learned from the third rabbit and dug a burrow. Students can learn about animal habitats through this story.
Teaching Ideas: Students would enjoy comparing this story with the story of the three little pigs or a similar story such as the three little javelinas. The teacher could create a model of a venn diagram to demonstrate similarities and differences in the stories. Some differences include the settings, the materials used to build homes, and the animal that was chasing the rabbits and javelinas. The javelinas also have a conversation with people while the rabbits do not. The javelinas were sent into the world to seek their fortunes while the rabbits were sent into the world to see the world. Similarities include the fact that there are three animals and a trickster who ends up being the one being tricked! Both stories explain a concept that is true. For example, The Three Little Rabbits explain why rabbits hide in their burrows. The Three Little Javelinas explains why the coyote yelps so-he is remembering when he was burnt in the fireplace of the javelina’s home. Both stories begin with “once upon a time” and end happily.
Retold and Illustrated by Ivan Gantschev
Translated by J. Alison James
North-South Books, 2002
Picture Books, Traditional Literature K-2
Summary: Once upon a time there lived three little rabbits. When they were grown up, their father sent them out to see the world. He told them to build a safe rabbit hole to hide in from the fox. The rabbits were excited to be on their own, and two rabbits decided not to follow his father’s orders. The first rabbit built a nest of branches, hay, and moss. When he smelt the fox, he knew that he was not safe, for he had nowhere to hide. When the fox asked him to come out and play, the rabbit ran from the fox as fast as he could. The second rabbit also thought that building a nest would take too long. He built a jut make of branches, moss, and leaves. When the fox came, he also realized he did not have a safe place to hide and he ran as fast as he could from the fox while the fox searched his hut. The third rabbit dug a nice, deep burrow. When the fox came, she had a safe place to retreat. The fox eventually got stuck digging through the ground to try to reach the rabbit. Rabbit made fox promise that he would no longer chase his brothers. Then rabbit pushed the fox out of her burrow. The other two rabbits took time to dig their own safe, warm burrows.
Response: I like this book even more than the traditional three little pigs story. While the stories share the same plot, I enjoyed the characters of the three little rabbits more. This may be because rabbits were my favorite animal growing up. I also like the fact that the rabbits did not get eaten like the first two pigs who did not build a sturdy house. I also like the fact that the rabbits learned from the third rabbit and dug a burrow. Students can learn about animal habitats through this story.
Teaching Ideas: Students would enjoy comparing this story with the story of the three little pigs or a similar story such as the three little javelinas. The teacher could create a model of a venn diagram to demonstrate similarities and differences in the stories. Some differences include the settings, the materials used to build homes, and the animal that was chasing the rabbits and javelinas. The javelinas also have a conversation with people while the rabbits do not. The javelinas were sent into the world to seek their fortunes while the rabbits were sent into the world to see the world. Similarities include the fact that there are three animals and a trickster who ends up being the one being tricked! Both stories explain a concept that is true. For example, The Three Little Rabbits explain why rabbits hide in their burrows. The Three Little Javelinas explains why the coyote yelps so-he is remembering when he was burnt in the fireplace of the javelina’s home. Both stories begin with “once upon a time” and end happily.
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