Showing how a dramatic reading can work to engage students in both reading and writing in composition classes, this presentation offers a review of a course focused on a short tale of Mark Twain's: "A Fable." While dramatically reading Twain's tale about stubborn and argumentative animals, students actively participate in debate as they defend their given animal roles and analyze and evaluate the viewpoints of other characters. This active reading prepares students to analyze and evaluate further readings and their own compositions.