Poetry of Fables, Fairies, and Fauna Fables, Fairies, and Fauna    

Lesson 29: The Cat and the Dog

by William Allingham

Performer: Librivox - Rosslyn Carlyle

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

A man tells a cat and dog that one can stay inside the house and the other must live outside. Both cat and dog want to live inside, so they race for it. During the race, the dog is hit by a beggar man's staff and loses the race. Outside the dog stays, and the dog has barked at beggars ever since.

Vocabulary

Indoors: Inside a building or shelter.
Outdoors: Outside a building or shelter.
Race: A competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc., to see which is the fastest in covering a set course.
Overtake: Catch up with and pass while traveling in the same direction.
Hedge: A fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs.
Blow: A powerful stroke with a hand, weapon, or hard object.
Staff: A long stick used as a support when walking or climbing or as a weapon.
Limp: To walk with difficulty, typically because of a damaged or stiff leg or foot.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem. Instructors may need to prompt children line-by-line.

Activity 2: Study the Poem's Companion Painting

• Study the painting below, and describe it in your own words.

Find the following in the companion painting:

• Cat
• Dog
• Lobster
• Crab
• Lemon
• Mushroom
• Fish
• Grapes
• Vase
• Flowers
• Pumpkin
• Squid
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers
• Cherries

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

• After reading or listening to each verse of the poem, narrate the verse events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 32 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 5: Act Out the Poem

Clear a room or go outdoors to have foot races from one point to another.

As the children race, define the following terms for the children:

• Race
• Win
• Lose
• Tie

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 4

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'The Cat and the Dog.'

1 / 4

Question 2

What happens in the poem?

2 / 4

Answer 2

A cat and dog race to see who can stay inside, and a beggar strikes the dog with his staff, causing the dog to lose. Dogs bark at beggars since then.

2 / 4

Question 3

Who are the characters in the poem?

3 / 4

Answer 3

The man, cat, dog, and the beggar.

3 / 4

Question 4

Does the poem teach us anything?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The poem is a fable that seeks to explain why dogs bark at strangers/beggars and perhaps why dogs and cats do not get along.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'The Cat and the Dog.'
2. What happens in the poem? A cat and dog race to see who can stay inside, and a beggar strikes the dog with his staff, causing the dog to lose. Dogs bark at beggars since then.
3. Who are the characters in the poem? The man, cat, dog, and the beggar.
4. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem is a fable that seeks to explain why dogs bark at strangers/beggars and perhaps why dogs and cats do not get along.