As they get to know the people in their host communities, Peace Corps volunteers are encouraged to record what they see and hear, including popular folk tales, stories passed down by the “folks” of a region. “The Talking Goat” is a folk tale from Liberia, another country in West Africa. Its moral should be a little easier for you to figure out―if you can believe what a talking goat says.

The Talking Goat

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Once you understand the moral or theme of a folk tale, it’s easier to understand why the story’s events happen as they do. Which sentence provides an accurate version of this folk tale’s theme?

Longer folk tales like “The Talking Goat” may have more than one theme, just as written stories often do. The more twists and turns the plot takes, the more opportunities there are for other themes to emerge. See if you can match each event below to a possible theme.

The farmer’s wife leaves him when he refuses to say “no.” The farmer eventually loses everything to his neighbors. The farmer’s favorite goat saves him in the end.

People with different values may find it hard to get along. It’s possible to give too much away. Loyalty usually pays off.

Directions To match items, click or tap an item in the left column and then click or tap its match in the right column. If you change your mind, make a different choice. Once you have matched all items, click "Check Answers" to see how you did. Click "Reset" to try again. Check Answers

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