The Grocer and His Donkey

A fable retold from Fifty Famous Fables by Lida B. McMurry

This fable is from Fifty Famous Fables, collected by Lida B. McMurry in the early 1900s. It teaches that trying to trick others can backfire. The grocer is patient and clever; the donkey learns that shortcuts have consequences. This story helps children see how choices lead to results.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 357 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Fifty Famous Fables, Lida B. McMurry · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.