FABLE I
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, there was a Fox. He was very clever. His fur was red. Fox went near a well. He was very thirsty. He looked at the water. The well was deep. He wanted a drink. The water looked cool.
Fox was not careful. He fell into the well. Splash! He swam and swam. The water was cold. He tried to get out. He could not climb up. The well walls were wet. The well was too deep. Fox was stuck. He felt sad.
Later, a big Goat came to the well. Goat had long horns. Goat was very thirsty. He wanted water. He walked slowly. Goat looked down into the well. He saw the water.
Goat saw Fox in the well. Goat was surprised. 'Hello, Fox!' said Goat. 'What are you doing down there? Are you drinking water? Is the water good? Did you drink enough? I am very thirsty too.'
Fox was very sly. He smiled a little. 'Oh, Goat!' said Fox. 'The water is so clear. It is very sweet. I cannot stop drinking. It is the best water I have ever tasted! Come down here, friend! You must taste this water. It is truly wonderful!'
Goat heard Fox. Goat believed Fox. Goat thought the water was good. Goat did not think much. He was very eager. He wanted to drink. Goat jumped into the well. Splash! Now Goat was in the well too.
Goat was now in the water. Fox quickly moved. Fox was very fast. He saw his chance. Fox jumped on Goat's strong horns. He pushed hard. Fox used Goat to climb up. Fox jumped out of the well. Fox was free now. Goat was still in the well. He was trapped.
Fox stood by the well. He looked down. Goat looked up at Fox. Goat felt foolish. Fox said, 'Goodbye, Goat. You did not think. You jumped too fast. I used your strong horns. Now I am out. You are still in the well. You must think more next time. Always think before you act. Look before you leap.'
The Goat learned a hard lesson that day. It was a very hard lesson. Always think before you trust someone new. Some friends are not true friends. Be careful who you trust. Think wisely.
Original Story
FABLE I.
THE FOX AND THE GOAT.
In the extreme end of a village a Fox one day went to have a peep at a hen-roost. He had the bad luck to fall into a well, where he swam first to this side, and then to that side, but could not get out with all his pains. At last, as chance would have it, a poor Goat came to the same place to seek for some drink. "So ho! friend Fox," said he, "you quaff it off there at a great rate: I hope by this time you have quenched your thirst." "Thirst!" said the sly rogue; "what I have found here to drink is so clear, and so sweet, that I cannot take my fill of it; do, pray, come down, my dear, and have a taste of it." With that, in plumped the Goat as he bade him; but as soon as he was down, the Fox jumped on his horns, and leaped out of the well in a trice; and as he went off, "Good bye, my wise friend," said he; "if you had as much brains as you have beard, I should have been in the well still, and you might have stood on the brink of it to laugh at me, as I now do at you."
MORAL.
A rogue will give up the best friend he has to get out of a scrape; so that we ought to know what a man is, that we may judge how far we may trust to what he says.
Story DNA
Moral
A rogue will give up the best friend he has to get out of a scrape; so that we ought to know what a man is, that we may judge how far we may trust to what he says.
Plot Summary
A fox, attempting to raid a hen-roost, falls into a deep well and cannot escape. A thirsty goat approaches the well, and the fox, feigning delight over the water, cunningly persuades the goat to jump in. As soon as the goat is in the well, the fox uses its horns as a springboard to leap to freedom, leaving the foolish goat trapped. The fox then mocks the goat for its gullibility, reinforcing the fable's moral about the dangers of trusting a rogue.
Themes
Emotional Arc
naivety to realization
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served as moral instruction, particularly for children, in pre-industrial societies.
Plot Beats (9)
- A fox goes to a village hen-roost.
- The fox accidentally falls into a well and cannot get out.
- A goat comes to the well seeking water.
- The goat asks the fox if he has quenched his thirst.
- The fox cunningly praises the well water and invites the goat to join him.
- The gullible goat jumps into the well.
- The fox uses the goat's horns as a stepping stone to escape the well.
- The fox, now free, mocks the trapped goat for his lack of intelligence.
- The story concludes with a stated moral about trusting rogues.
Characters
The Fox
A medium-sized, slender fox with agile movements. His fur is a vibrant reddish-orange, with a white belly and chest, and black 'stockings' on his lower legs. He has a long, bushy tail tipped with white.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To escape any predicament he finds himself in, primarily driven by self-preservation and a desire for comfort/safety.
Flaw: Overconfidence and a tendency to get into trouble due to his opportunistic nature.
He remains unchanged, reinforcing his roguish nature by successfully tricking the Goat and escaping.
Sly, deceitful, quick-witted, self-serving, and manipulative.
The Goat
A sturdy, medium-sized goat with a shaggy coat of off-white or light grey fur. He has strong legs and a stocky build, typical of a farm animal.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To quench his thirst and perhaps to be friendly or helpful.
Flaw: His naivety and lack of critical thinking, making him easily deceived.
He learns a harsh lesson about trusting strangers, becoming a victim of the Fox's trickery.
Gullible, trusting, simple-minded, and thirsty.
Locations
Village Outskirts
The very edge of a rural village, likely with some overgrown areas or less maintained paths leading away from the main settlement.
Mood: Quiet, somewhat wild, on the fringe of human habitation.
The fox approaches the hen-roost before falling into the well.
The Well
A deep, cylindrical well, likely made of rough-hewn stone or brick, containing clear, sweet water. The interior walls are damp, possibly with moss or algae near the waterline.
Mood: Confined, initially desperate for the fox, then deceptive and ultimately a trap for the goat.
The fox falls in, the goat jumps in, and the fox escapes using the goat.