The Fox

From the 5 fables

1. The Fox and the Grapes
2. The Fox and the Crow
3. The Fox and the Stork
4. The Fox and the Leopard
5. The Fox and the Goat

The Fox is someone who is Smart, Witty and Clever (wins Leopard). However, using his gifts the wrong way, he is a sly Prankster who frequently uses Smooth-talking to trick and play pranks on other people (Crow, Stork and Goat). Since he is used to getting his way, he is a Sore-loser when he fails to get what he wants (Grapes).

The Fox and the Goat

Source: http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/legends/fox-goat-aesop-fable.htm

Fable:

One hot sunny day, a thirsty fox was looking down into a deep well, and fell in.

“I wanted some water, but not this much” said the fox to himself, as he splashed around in the water.

“Now how am I going to get out of here” he said, looking up at the top of the well.

Just then a thirsty goat came to the well. He looked down and was surprised to see the fox in the water.

“What are you doing down there?” asked the goat.

“I came down to get some of this wonderful cool water” said the fox, pretending everything was alright.

“Come on down and try some. It’s the best water you’ll ever taste” he shouted up at the goat. ‘And there isn’t any more water for miles.”

“I’m thirsty, and that water does look so good” thought the goat.

“OK. Look out, I’m coming down,” the goat shouted to the fox as he jumped down into the well.

Just as the goat started drinking, the fox said, “There’s one small problem. The top of the well is so high it’s going to be hard getting out of here. But don’t worry I have a plan.”

“If,” he said to the goat “you put your front feet on the wall of the well, I’ll run up your back and jump up to the top. Once I’m out I’ll help you to get out too.”

The goat did as he was told and the fox leapt onto his back, jumped up on to his horns, and then scrambled up out of the well.

“That was a really good plan” said the fox.

“See you later” he said, looking down at the goat.

“But, what about me?” cried the goat from the bottom of the well.

“If you had any brains you would never have gone down there until you had worked out how to get out.” said the fox.

“Have you ever heard the expression, look before you leap?” laughed the fox as he ran away.

Moral: Look before you leap.

Existing illustrations:

Profile view.

Bird’s eye view.

Bottom view.

Observation:
Top and bottom perspective provides greater visual enjoyment due to the exaggerated sense of scale and distance.

Modern interpretations of the story:

Modernized setting of baggage check. Fox makes use of naive goat to smuggle stuff. Look before you leap.

City scape of Fox falling into sewage hole.

Character analysis of Fox: Sly, witty, Clever
Character analysis of Goat: Naive, Gullible, Dumb

The Fox and the Leopard

Fable:

A Fox and a Leopard, resting lazily after a generous dinner, amused themselves by disputing about their good looks. The Leopard was very proud of his glossy, spotted coat and made disdainful remarks about the Fox, whose appearance he declared was quite ordinary.

The Fox prided himself on his fine bushy tail with its tip of white, but he was wise enough to see that he could not rival the Leopard in looks. Still he kept up a flow of sarcastic talk, just to exercise his wits and to have the fun of disputing. The Leopard was about to lose his temper when the Fox got up, yawning lazily.

“You may have a very smart coat,” he said, “but you would be a great deal better off if you had a little more smartness inside your head and less on your ribs, the way I am. That’s what I call real beauty.”

Moral:
A fine coat is not always an indication of an attractive mind.
Beauty is often only skin deep.

Existing illustrations:

Observation: The two animals are always shown side by side.

Character analysis of Fox: Smart, witty
Character analysis of Leopard: Show-off, shallow

The Fox and the Stork

Traditional Fable:

Source: http://www.virted.org/fables/foxstor.html

At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began.

“I am sorry,” said the Fox, “the soup is not to your liking.”

“Pray do not apologize,” said the Stork. “I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon.”

So a day was appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the Fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.

“I will not apologize for the dinner,” said the Stork:

“One bad turn deserves another.”

Questions to discuss:

• Did the Stork do the right thing in paying back the Fox’s rude behavior?
• What do you think happened after the fable ended with the fox and the stork?

More detailed version:

Source: http://marialuciauribe.blogspot.com/2007/06/fox-and-stork.html

Once upon a time . . . a fox made friends with a stork and decided to invite her to lunch. While he was wondering what to serve for the meal, he thought he’d play a trick on the bird. So he prepared a tasty soup and poured it into two flat plates.

“Help yourself, Mrs Stork! I’m sure you’ll enjoy this! It’s frog soup and chopped parsley. Taste it, you’ll find it’s delicious!”

“Thank you very much!” said the stork, sniffing the soup. But she quickly saw the trick the fox had played on her. For no matter how she tried, she could not drink the soup from the flat plate. The sniggering fox urged her on:”Eat up! Do you like it?” But all the stork could do was bluff. With a casual air she said: “I’m afraid I’ve such a headache that I’ve lost my appetite!” And the fox fussily replied: “What a shame! And it’s such good soup too! Too bad! Maybe next time . . .” To which the stork quickly replied: “Yes, of course! Next time, you must have lunch with me!”

The very next day, the fox found a polite note pinned to his door: it was the stork’s invitation to lunch. “Now, isn’t that nice of her!” said the fox to himself. “And she hasn’t taken my little trick to heart either! A real lady!”

The stork’s house was much plainer than the fox’s, and she apologized to the fox. “My home is much humbler than yours,” she said, “but I’ve cooked a really special meal. Freshwater shrimps with white wine and juniper berries!” The fox licked his lips at the idea of these goodies and sniffed deeply when the stork handed him his jar. But, try as he might, he was unable to eat a bite, for he could not reach down with his nose into the long neck of the jar.In the meantime, with her long beak, the stork gobbled her lunch.

“Try it! Try it!” she said. “Do you like it?” But the unlucky fox, confused and outsmarted, could not think of an excuse for not eating. And as he tossed and turned hungrily in bed that night, thinking of his lost lunch, he said to himself with a sigh: “I might have known!”

Moral: Do unto other as you would have other do unto you!

Someone’s response:

Source: http://marialuciauribe.blogspot.com/2007/06/fox-and-stork.html

Dear MaLu,

I think this story has a lot of significance in today’s globalised world. We often act like the fox or the stork when dealing with people from a different country or culture.

I am from India. During my recent visit to Korea, I was invited to my Korean colleague’s home for dinner. Hospitaility was at its best. His wife and mother had prepared a 25 course meal for me; but hardly was anything palatable to me, as I was a vegetarian and also not fond of eating too much garlic!

If my Korean friend were to ever visit me in India, I would rather search out for a Korean restaurant to treat him, and not insist on offering Indian food!

This doesn’t apply only for food. Culture is so diverse, that you can find this fox and stork story in many other places.

It need not be a question of revenge at all!

regards
Padmanabhan (Padhu)

Existing book:

Source: http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=bzrLtWaabdsC&dq=the+fox+and+the+stork&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=yadEzLaOL4&sig=cyOcuprGO3YLT-pOhH-uhr4oFNA&hl=en&ei=-HsaS4yxNJiekQWKyfTZAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&ved=0CCoQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Existing illustrations:

Observation: Similar boring profile view.

Video of the story:

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRR_o7gulw

Humorous depiction of the story.

Character analysis of Fox: Trickster, Prankster
Character analysis of Stork: Calm, Witty

The Fox and the Crow

Source: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/FoxCrow.shtml

Traditional version:

The Fox and The Crow

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.
“That’s for me, as I am a Fox,” said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.
“Good day, Mistress Crow,” he cried. “How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.”
The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.
“That will do,” said he. “That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future: “Do not trust flatterers.”

Moral: Do not trust flatterers.

Alternative version:

Source: http://www.aesopfables.com/cgi/aesop1.cgi?2&TheFoxandtheCrow

The Fox and the Crow

A CROW having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it
in her beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat
himself, and by a wily stratagem succeeded. “How handsome is the
Crow,” he exclaimed, in the beauty of her shape and in the
fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to
her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of
Birds!” This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute
the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped
the flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the
Crow: “My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is
wanting.”

Differences:
Cheese vs Meat
Praise vs Challenge

Modern Version:

Source: http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/legends/fox-crow-aesop-fable.htm

The Fox and the Crow
Aesop fable retold by Oban

One day, while he was out walking, a fox saw a crow swoop down and pick up a piece of cheese in its beak. The crow then flapped its wings and flew up onto a high branch in a nearby tree.

“Man, that’s a tasty looking piece of cheese,” said the fox to himself.

“Hey, I should have that cheese. I’m the fox and I deserve it,” he said. “I’m a sly, smooth talking fox too. I’ll have it soon enough.”

The fox walked over to the foot of the tree. “Hi ya, Miss Crow” cried the fox.

“How are you today?” asked the fox. “You’re looking mighty fine. Is there something different about you? Have you changed shampoo?”

“Your feathers look so glossy and black and your eyes are sparkling like diamonds,” said the fox, flattering the crow. “Hey, have you lost weight? Your figure looks great,”

“Wow, if you can sing as good as you look then I’ll have to call you Queen of all Birds” said the fox.

Flattered by all the compliments from the fox, and wanting to be called Queen of all Birds, the crow lifted her head and began to sing.

But the moment she opened her mouth the cheese fell out, and the quick fox jumped and caught it before it hit the ground.

“Yes!!!” yelled the fox, holding the cheese up over his head as he did his victory dance. “I got what I wanted.”

The fox looked up at the sad crow in the tree. “To show you I’m not a really bad guy I’ll give you some advice for the future” he said to the crow.

“ Never trust a flatterer.”

Existing book:

Source: http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=t8CCEoDhYFUC&dq=the+fox+and+the+crow&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=1iUPCbXOOX&sig=80smGJvBcdxGr5GQ_Eo74_4iEWk&hl=en&ei=v28aS42WBZeXkQWC6q3SAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&ved=0CDMQ6AEwDQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Existing illustrations:

Observation:
They all look alike. Profile view, similar angles. Nothing new.

More interesting illustration:

Close-up.

Cartoon style.

http://www.redbubble.com/people/tsipilevin/art/293043-12-the-fox-and-the-crow

Mixed media, shadows, silhoutte.

Simple shapes.

Nice expression.

Videos of the story:

Use of perspective (bird’s eye view).

Accompanying song.

Observation: Backdrop of story — Summer vs Winter

Character analysis of Fox: Sly, witty, smooth-talking
Character analysis of Crow: Eager to prove herself, not witty.