Skeleton Story

A skeleton story is a story written from a given outline or set of clues. The outline provides the main points of the story, and the student has to expand them into a complete, well-connected story with a proper beginning, middle and end.

This type of writing develops imagination, creativity and the ability to organise ideas in a logical sequence. In the SEE examination, students are frequently asked to write a story with the help of the given outline or clues. It is an important guided writing task.

Outline: - A poor farmer - Finds a wounded bird - Takes it home and looks after it - Bird recovers and flies away - Next morning a golden feather near the window - Farmer becomes happy Model Story: The Golden Feather Once there lived a poor farmer in a small village. One day while working in his field, he found a wounded bird lying on the ground. He felt pity for the bird and took it home. He looked after the bird carefully, gave it food and water, and protected it from cold. After a few days the bird recovered completely and flew away into the sky. The next morning the farmer saw a bright golden feather near his window. He was surprised and very happy. From that day he believed that kindness always brings good rewards.

Study the outlines carefully. Write your own story first. Then compare it with the model answer.

Outline: - A thirsty crow - Finds a pitcher with little water - Cannot reach the water - Puts pebbles into the pitcher - Water level rises - Drinks water and flies away Model Story: The Thirsty Crow One hot day a thirsty crow was flying in search of water. After a long time it found a pitcher in a garden. There was some water at the bottom of the pitcher, but the crow’s beak could not reach it. The crow thought of a plan. It picked up small pebbles one by one and dropped them into the pitcher. Slowly the water level rose. At last the crow was able to drink the water. It quenched its thirst and flew away happily. This story teaches us that intelligence is more powerful than strength.

Outline: - A hungry fox - Sees grapes hanging high - Tries to jump and reach them - Fails again and again - Walks away saying the grapes are sour Model Story: The Fox and the Grapes One day a hungry fox was walking through a garden. He saw a bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a high vine. The fox wanted to eat the grapes, so he jumped high to reach them. He tried again and again but failed each time. The grapes were too high for him. At last he became tired and gave up. As he walked away, he said to himself, “The grapes are sour. I don’t want them anyway.” This story shows that people often hate what they cannot get.

Outline: - Two friends travelling through a forest - A bear appears - One friend climbs a tree - The other lies down and holds his breath - Bear sniffs and goes away - Lesson about true friendship Model Story: True Friendship Two friends were travelling through a dense forest. Suddenly a big bear appeared in front of them. One of the friends quickly climbed up a tree to save himself. The other friend did not know how to climb, so he lay down on the ground and held his breath, pretending to be dead. The bear came near him, sniffed his body and thought he was dead. Then it went away. After some time the friend on the tree came down and asked what the bear had said. The other friend replied, “The bear told me not to trust a friend who leaves you in danger.” The story teaches us that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Outline: - A woodcutter cutting trees near a river - His axe falls into the water - He becomes sad - A fairy appears with a golden axe - Woodcutter refuses it - Fairy gives him his own iron axe and rewards his honesty Model Story: The Honest Woodcutter Once a poor woodcutter was cutting trees near a river. Suddenly his axe slipped from his hand and fell into the deep water. He became very sad because he had only one axe. At that moment a fairy appeared and asked him why he was crying. When she heard the story, she dived into the river and brought out a golden axe. The woodcutter said it was not his. Then she brought a silver axe, but he again refused. Finally she brought his own iron axe. The woodcutter was very happy and accepted it. The fairy was pleased with his honesty and gave him all three axes as a reward.

Outline: - A young boy walking home from school - Sees an old woman struggling with heavy bags - Helps her carry the bags - Old woman thanks him and gives him a blessing - Boy feels happy - Moral: Kindness brings happiness Model Story: A Small Act of Kindness One evening a young boy was walking home from school. On the way he saw an old woman struggling to carry two heavy bags. She looked tired and weak. The boy went to her and offered to help. He carried the bags to her house which was a little far. The old woman was very grateful. She thanked the boy and blessed him for his kindness. The boy felt very happy as he walked home. He realised that even a small act of kindness can bring great joy to others and to oneself.