Aesop
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Greece

The Fox and The Stork

Clever fox tricks stork with flat stone dish, but stork gets revenge by serving food in jar, leaving fox hungry.
Consequences
Trickery
Cunning
Aesop's Fables - The Fox and The Stork
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, there was a clever fox who lived in the woods. One day, she decided to have a little fun and invited her neighbor, the stork, over for a meal.

At dinner time, the fox served soup. But instead of a bowl, she poured the soup onto a flat stone dish. The fox watched, chuckling to herself, as the stork struggled to pick up the soup with his long, thin beak. No matter how hard he tried, the soup just slipped right off his beak, and he couldn't eat a thing.

A few days later, it was the stork's turn to host the dinner. He decided to serve his meal in a tall jar with a very narrow neck. The stork dipped his long neck into the jar, easily sipping the delicious food inside.

On the other hand, the fox, with her short and wide snout, couldn't reach the food at the bottom of the jar. She licked and sniffed around the top of the jar, but couldn't get to the meal inside, no matter how hard she tried.

And so, the stork enjoyed his meal while the fox left hungry, her plan from the other night turned back on her.

In a far-off forest where the trees had a bit too much attitude and the grass was as soft as marshmallow, a sly fox, known for her cheeky pranks, thought, "I think it's time for a little mischief!" She nudged her friend, the always-dapper stork, for a dinner party.

"Come over!" said the fox, "I’m making my famous woodland soup. Trust me, it's the talk of the forest!"

Curious, the stork put on his favorite bowtie, anticipating a delightful feast. But when dinner was served, there was a twist! Instead of the usual bowls, the fox cheekily poured the soup onto a flat pancake-like dish.

"Isn’t this trendy?" smirked the fox, taking dainty licks of her soup. The stork, trying to be a good sport, attempted to sip the soup, but, alas! The liquid dribbled down his beak like a waterfall gone wonky. "Hmm, I've heard of a liquid diet, but this is a bit extreme, don't you think?"

Not to be outwitted, the stork had an idea for when it was his turn to host. He sent an invitation to the fox, promising a meal that was "out of this world". And on the big night, he served dinner in a tall, skinny jar that looked like it was meant for storing oversized pencils.

Peeking inside, the fox said, "A bit of an odd choice, but hey, I'm all for trying new things!" But try as she might, she just couldn’t reach the yumminess at the bottom. It was like trying to fish out the last cookie in a jar with a spatula.

The stork, with his perfect beak, slurped away contentedly. "Gourmet dining, wouldn't you say?"

The fox, her tummy rumbling, admitted, "Touché, Mr. Stork. I guess we're even now."

And the two, with mischief in their eyes and smiles on their faces, agreed that maybe next time, they'd just order pizza.

Amidst the trees where shadows lay,
Lived a fox, sly in every way.
She thought of a prank, both sly and neat,
Inviting the stork for a deceptive treat.

Soup was her choice, warm and fine,
But the fox had a playful design.
On a flat stone dish, the soup did splash,
Making it tough for the stork to mash.

The stork came by, ready to dine,
But with his long beak, he couldn't align.
He pecked and prodded, again and again,
The soup just slipped, to the stork's disdain.

Days went by, the stork’s turn came,
His revenge plan was not quite the same.
In his home, with a glint in his eye,
He prepared for the fox, a crafty surprise.

A tall jar, slender and long,
Held the food where it did belong.
With ease, the stork sipped away,
Enjoying his meal without any delay.

But the fox was vexed, her plan did fall,
With her short snout, she couldn't reach at all.
Departing that night, her hunger did pin,
Learning sometimes, the other side may win!

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the Fox decided to serve the soup on a flat dish?
  2. How did the Stork feel when he couldn't eat the soup at the Fox's house, and how did the Fox feel when she couldn't eat at the Stork's house?
  3. Can you think of a time when someone treated you the way they wanted to be treated, instead of how you wanted to be treated?
  4. What does this story teach us about the importance of considering others' needs and feelings?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our everyday lives to treat others fairly and kindly?

Fable Quotes

The one who lays traps may one day find themselves caught in one.
Trickery may seem fun, until the trick is on you.
Cunning may win the moment, but wisdom wins the day.
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