FABLE LXXII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
A proud rooster sat in a tall tree. He crowed loudly. A hungry fox walked by. He saw the rooster.
Foxy could not reach Cocky. The tree was very, very tall. Foxy walked to the tree. He looked up at Cocky. "Hello, good friend," Foxy said. "Come down now." He smiled a tricky smile.
Cocky the Rooster stayed up high. He did not want to come down. "No, Foxy," Cocky said. "I am scared to come down. Other beasts might hurt me. It is not safe on the ground. I will stay here."
Foxy the Fox had a tricky plan. "Oh, dear Cocky," Foxy said. "Did you not hear the good news? All beasts are now best friends. Birds and beasts are friends now. No one will hurt anyone. It is a big new rule. You are safe with me."
Cocky the Rooster did not believe Foxy. He looked far away. He stretched his long neck. Cocky looked at the forest. He acted like he saw a thing.
Foxy the Fox wanted to know. "What do you see?" Foxy asked. "What is out there, Cocky?"
Cocky had a clever idea. "Oh," Cocky said. "I see some dogs. Many dogs are coming now. They run this way."
Foxy the Fox got scared. He did not like dogs. "Oh no!" Foxy cried. "I must go now! Goodbye, Cocky!" Foxy ran very fast.
Cocky the Rooster called out. "Wait, Foxy!" he said. "Why are you scared of the dogs? You said all beasts are good friends. You said it was safe for all. Are the dogs not friends now too?"
Foxy made a quick excuse. "Oh," Foxy said. "Maybe the dogs do not know the news. They did not hear the big rule yet. I must go quickly now. They will not be friends. Foxy was a liar."
Foxy the Fox ran away very fast. He ran deep into the forest. He did not look back. Cocky stayed safe in his tall tree. He was happy up high. Cocky was a very smart rooster. He did not come down. He was safe from Foxy.
The clever rooster stayed safe. He was smart and wise. He did not believe the tricky fox. Always be smart!
Original Story
FABLE LXXII.
THE COCK AND THE FOX.
A Cock, being perched among the branches of a lofty tree, crowed aloud, so that the shrillness of his voice echoed through the wood and invited a Fox to the place, who was prowling in that neighbourhood in quest of his prey. But Reynard, finding the Cock was inaccessible by reason of the height of his situation, had recourse to stratagem in order to decoy him down. So, approaching the tree, "Cousin," says he, "I am heartily glad to see you; but at the same time I cannot forbear expressing my uneasiness at the inconvenience of the place, which will not let me pay my respects to you in a handsomer manner; though I suppose you will come down presently, and thus the difficulty will be easily removed."
"Indeed, cousin," says the Cock, "to tell you the truth, I do not think it safe to venture upon the ground; for though I am convinced how much you are my friend, yet I may have the misfortune to fall into the clutches of some other beasts, and what will become of me then?" "Oh, dear!" says Reynard, "is it possible that you can be so ignorant, as not to know of the peace which has been lately proclaimed between all kinds of birds and beasts; and that we are for the future to forbear hostilities on all sides, and to live in the utmost love and harmony, and this, under the penalty of suffering the severest punishment that can be inflicted?" All this while the Cock seemed to give little attention to what was said, but stretched out his neck, as if he saw something at a distance.
"Cousin," says the Fox, "what is it that you look at so earnestly?" "Why," says the Cock, "I think I see a pack of hounds yonder, a little way off." "Oh, then," says the Fox, "your humble servant, I must begone." "Nay, pray cousin, do not go," says the Cock, "I am just coming down; surely you are not afraid of Dogs in these peaceable times?" "No, no," says he, "but ten to one whether they have heard of the proclamation yet."
MORAL.
When rogues are met in their own strain, they are generally worsted. It is interesting to see the snares of the wicked defeated by the discreet management of the innocent. "Answer a fool according to his folly," is an old maxim.
Story DNA
Moral
When rogues are met with their own cunning, they are generally defeated. The snares of the wicked can be defeated by the discreet management of the innocent.
Plot Summary
A hungry Fox spots a Cock perched safely in a high tree and tries to trick him into coming down by claiming a universal peace has been declared among all animals. The wary Cock, however, pretends to see a pack of hounds approaching. This causes the Fox to panic and flee, revealing his deceit and fear, leaving the clever Cock safe in his perch.
Themes
Emotional Arc
tension to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served as moral instruction, particularly for children, using animal characters to simplify complex human behaviors and consequences.
Plot Beats (11)
- A Cock crows from a high tree, attracting a prowling Fox.
- The Fox, unable to reach the Cock, approaches the tree and greets him, feigning friendliness and asking him to come down.
- The Cock expresses reluctance to descend, citing safety concerns about other beasts.
- The Fox invents a story about a recently proclaimed universal peace between all birds and beasts.
- The Cock pretends not to pay attention, stretching his neck as if looking at something distant.
- The Fox asks what the Cock is looking at.
- The Cock claims to see a pack of hounds approaching.
- The Fox immediately becomes alarmed and declares he must leave.
- The Cock taunts the Fox, asking why he's afraid of dogs if there's universal peace.
- The Fox replies that the dogs might not have heard of the proclamation yet, exposing his lie and fear.
- The Fox flees, and the Cock remains safe in the tree.
Characters
The Cock
A robust, medium-sized rooster with strong legs and sharp talons. His body is covered in iridescent feathers, predominantly deep red and golden-orange, with hints of green and blue on his tail feathers. He has a proud, upright stance.
Attire: Natural plumage of a rooster: iridescent red, gold, and green feathers, a bright red comb, and wattles.
Wants: Self-preservation and safety.
Flaw: Can be perceived as overly cautious, but this is also his strength.
Remains consistent in his wisdom and caution, successfully outsmarting the Fox.
Wary, intelligent, quick-witted, cautious, observant.
The Fox
A lean, agile fox with a sleek body, approximately the size of a medium dog. His fur is a rich reddish-brown, darker on his back and legs, and lighter, almost white, on his belly and throat. He has a bushy tail, tipped with white.
Attire: Natural fur coat of a fox: reddish-brown with a white belly and a white-tipped bushy tail.
Wants: To catch and eat the Cock for prey.
Flaw: Overconfidence in his own cleverness, easily panicked when his own safety is threatened.
Remains unchanged in his deceptive nature, but is ultimately outsmarted and defeated.
Cunning, deceptive, manipulative, opportunistic, gluttonous.
Locations
Lofty Tree in the Wood
A tall, mature tree with strong, accessible branches, rising high above the forest floor. The surrounding area is a dense wood, implying a natural, untamed environment.
Mood: initially peaceful, then tense and cunning
The Cock crows from its perch, attracting the Fox, and the entire dialogue and deception unfold here.