The Fox and The Stork
by Aesop · from Æsop's Fables
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, there was a clever Fox. He liked to play tricks.
The Fox was a clever animal. He liked to play little tricks. One day, The Fox asked The Stork. "Please come for dinner," he said. The Fox had a plan. He wanted to make a joke. The Stork was happy. She said, "Yes, I will come!"
Dinner time came. The Fox served soup. It was thin soup in a flat dish. The Fox ate his soup very fast. He used his tongue. He lapped it up quickly. It was easy for him. The Stork had a very long bill. She could not eat the soup. Her bill was too long. She could not pick up the food. The dish was too flat. The Stork was still hungry.
The Stork was a little sad. She was still hungry. She looked happy for The Fox. She was very polite. "Thank you for dinner," she said. "It was very nice." "Please come to my house tomorrow. You can eat with me." The Fox felt happy. He thought his trick was good. "Yes, I will come!" said The Fox. The next day, The Fox went to The Stork's house. The Stork served dinner. It was tasty food in a tall, narrow jar. The jar had a long, thin neck. The Stork put her long bill into the jar. She ate the food easily. The Fox could not eat. His nose was too short. He could not reach the food. He licked the outside of the jar. He was still hungry. The Fox felt silly. He understood his mistake. The Stork looked at The Fox. "Is this dish hard for you?" she asked. She said, "It is good to be kind to your friends." "Always treat others how you want to be treated." The Fox learned a good lesson that day. He was never unkind again.
Original Story
The Fox and The Stork
A fox one day invited a Stork to dinner, and being disposed to divert himself at the expense of his guest, provided nothing for dinner but some thin soup in a shallow dish. This the Fox lapped up very readily, while the Stork, unable to gain a mouthful with her long narrow bill, was as hungry at the end of dinner as when she began. The Fox, meanwhile, said he was very sorry to see her eat so sparingly, and hoped that the dish was seasoned to her mind. The Stork, seeing that she was played upon, took no notice of it, but pretended to enjoy herself extremely; and at parting begged the Fox to return the visit. So he agreed to dine with her the next day. He arrived in good time, and dinner was ordered forthwith; but when it was served up, he found to his dismay, that it was nothing but minced meat in a tall, narrow-necked jar. Down this the Stork easily thrust her long neck and bill, while the Fox had to content himself with licking the outside of the jar. "I am very glad," said the Stork, "that you seem to have so good an appetite; and I hope you will make as hearty a dinner at my table as I did the other day at yours." At this the Fox hung down his head and showed his teeth—"Nay, nay," said the Stork, "don't pretend to be out of humour about the matter; they that cannot take a jest should never make one."
Story DNA
Moral
Do not play tricks on others unless you are prepared to have the same tricks played on you.
Plot Summary
A Fox invites a Stork to dinner and serves soup in a shallow dish, knowing the Stork cannot eat it with her long bill. The Stork, though hungry, pretends to enjoy herself and invites the Fox to dinner in return. The next day, the Stork serves minced meat in a tall, narrow-necked jar, which she can easily eat but the Fox cannot. The Stork then delivers a moral lesson about not playing tricks on others if one cannot take a jest.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of ancient Greek stories, often featuring animals, intended to convey moral lessons. They have been passed down through oral tradition and various written collections for centuries.
Plot Beats (9)
- The Fox invites the Stork to dinner, intending to play a trick.
- The Fox serves thin soup in a shallow dish, which he can lap up but the Stork cannot eat with her long bill.
- The Stork remains hungry but pretends to enjoy the meal and politely invites the Fox to dinner the next day.
- The Fox accepts the invitation and arrives at the Stork's house.
- The Stork serves minced meat in a tall, narrow-necked jar.
- The Stork easily eats the food, while the Fox can only lick the outside of the jar.
- The Stork mocks the Fox with a similar phrase he used earlier, asking if he has a good appetite.
- The Fox hangs his head in shame and anger.
- The Stork delivers the moral: "they that cannot take a jest should never make one."
Characters
★
The Fox
A medium-sized, slender canine with reddish-brown fur, a bushy tail tipped with white, and keen, intelligent eyes. He has a lean build, indicative of a creature that relies on agility and cunning.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To amuse himself at the expense of others, to assert his cleverness and superiority.
Flaw: His pride and tendency to underestimate others, leading him to fall victim to his own tricks.
Starts as a confident trickster, but is ultimately outsmarted and humbled by the Stork, learning a lesson about treating others as he wishes to be treated.
Cunning, mischievous, playful (in a cruel way), prideful, and ultimately humbled.
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The Stork
A tall, elegant bird with long, slender legs, a long, narrow bill, and pristine white feathers. Her wings are broad, and her primary flight feathers are black, contrasting with her white body.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To maintain her dignity, to teach the Fox a lesson about hospitality and respect, and to return the prank in kind.
Flaw: Initially, her physical inability to eat from a shallow dish, which makes her vulnerable to the Fox's prank.
Begins as a victim of a prank, but transforms into a clever avenger, successfully turning the tables on her tormentor and delivering a moral lesson.
Patient, observant, dignified, clever, and capable of retaliation when provoked.
Locations
The Fox's Den Dining Area
A simple, earthy den, likely carved into a hillside, with a rough-hewn wooden table. The atmosphere is initially convivial but quickly turns subtly mocking.
Mood: Initially welcoming, then subtly mocking and uncomfortable for the guest.
The Fox plays a trick on the Stork by serving soup in a shallow dish, which the Stork cannot eat.
The Stork's Nest Dining Area
A large, sturdy nest, possibly atop a tall tree or a chimney, serving as a dining area. The setting is open to the sky, reflecting the Stork's natural habitat.
Mood: Initially welcoming, then subtly retaliatory and satisfying for the host.
The Stork retaliates by serving minced meat in a tall, narrow-necked jar, which the Fox cannot eat.