FABLE XC
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Fox runs very fast. Dogs chase Fox. Fox is scared. He needs to hide now. He looks for a safe place. The dogs bark loudly. Their barks are very close. They run behind Fox. Fox runs through the big field. He sees a tall green wall. It is a thick hedge. Fox thinks, "I can hide there." He runs faster. He wants to be safe from the dogs. He hopes to get away.
Fox sees the big hedge. It is a tall green wall. He thinks, "I can jump." He wants safety. There, he will be safe from the dogs. The hedge looks very thick. Fox runs very fast to the hedge. He jumps up high. He tries to go over the top. He pushes with his strong legs. He wants to escape the barking dogs. He needs to get away.
Fox jumps up high. He tries to go over. But he lands in the hedge. Ouch! A sharp thorn pokes his paw. It is a Bramble plant. The Bramble has many thorns. One big thorn catches Fox's paw. Fox cries out loudly. His paw hurts very much. He cannot move his paw. The thorn holds him tight. Fox feels a lot of pain. He is stuck in the thick green hedge. The Bramble holds his paw. He tries to pull it free. It hurts more.
Fox is very angry. He looks at the Bramble. "You are so mean!" Fox says. "I run from the dogs. I need help from you. I come to you for safety. I think you will hide me. But you hurt me so much! You poke my paw. You hold me tight. This is not fair at all. You are very bad. Why did you do this?" Fox is upset. He pulls his paw again. He tries to get free. The pain is still there.
Bramble speaks now. "I am thorny," Bramble says. "I hold things tightly. That is what I do. I am a plant. My job is to be thorny. My job is to hold things. You put your soft paw on me. You tried to jump over me. So I hold your paw. This is my way. This is my nature. I do not change for anyone. I am always thorny. You should know this about me. This is how I am. It is not mean. I cannot help it."
Bramble gives wise advice. "Listen to me, Fox," it says. "Do not touch me again. Do not grab me again. I will always poke you. I will always hold you. This is my true nature. Your nature is soft. My nature is sharp. We are not the same. You must be careful with me. Do not touch things that poke. Think first. Fox understands the words. He pulls his paw free slowly. He feels a little sad. But he learns a lesson. He will be careful now. He will remember this day.
Fox learned a big lesson that day. It is good to know things. Be careful with things that are prickly.
Original Story
FABLE XC.
THE FOX AND THE BRAMBLE.
A Fox, hard pressed by the hounds, was getting over a hedge, but tore his foot upon a Bramble, which grew just in the midst of it, upon which he reproached the Bramble for his inhospitable cruelty in using a stranger, which had fled to him for protection, after such a barbarous manner. "Yes," says the Bramble, "you intended to have made me serve your turn, I know; but take this piece of advice with you for the future: Never lay hold of a Bramble again, as you value your sweet person; for laying hold is a privilege that belongs to us Brambles, and we do not care to let it go out of the family."
MORAL.
Impertinent people, who take liberties with others, are often much surprised if they are retorted on with severity. It is better, then, to keep from undue familiarity with strangers, for we know not of what temper they may be.
Story DNA
Moral
Impertinent people who take liberties with others are often surprised by severe retaliation; it is better to avoid undue familiarity with strangers.
Plot Summary
A fox, fleeing from hounds, injures its foot on a bramble while attempting to cross a hedge. The fox angrily accuses the bramble of cruelty for harming a creature seeking protection. The bramble retorts, explaining that its nature is to hold fast and that the fox should not have presumed to grab it, delivering a sharp lesson about respecting inherent boundaries and the consequences of undue familiarity.
Themes
Emotional Arc
haste to regret
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served to transmit moral lessons in pre-literate or early-literate societies.
Plot Beats (6)
- A fox is pursued by hounds and seeks escape.
- The fox attempts to jump over a hedge.
- A bramble in the hedge tears the fox's foot.
- The fox angrily scolds the bramble for its 'inhospitable cruelty'.
- The bramble retorts, stating that 'laying hold' is its privilege.
- The bramble advises the fox never to grab a bramble again, as they don't share their nature.
Characters
The Fox
A lean, agile fox of medium size, with a lithe build indicative of a creature accustomed to swift movement. His body is covered in thick, reddish-brown fur, with a lighter, almost creamy-white underside. His legs are slender and strong, and his paws are nimble, though one is now injured.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To escape danger (the hounds) and to use whatever means necessary to ensure his own survival and comfort.
Flaw: His arrogance and sense of entitlement, which lead him to disregard the nature of others and assume he can manipulate them without consequence.
He experiences a moment of painful realization that his usual tactics don't work on everyone, learning a harsh lesson about assuming control over others.
Cunning, self-serving, quick-witted, entitled, and somewhat arrogant. He expects others to serve his needs without question.
The Bramble
A dense, thorny bush, likely several feet wide and tall, with dark green, serrated leaves and numerous sharp, woody thorns. Its branches are gnarled and interwoven, forming an impenetrable barrier. It is firmly rooted in the ground, specifically 'in the midst' of a hedge.
Attire: None, as it is a plant.
Wants: To protect itself and maintain its inherent nature of being thorny and unyielding. It wants to be left alone and for others to respect its boundaries.
Flaw: Its immobility; it cannot escape if someone truly intends to destroy it, only defend itself.
The Bramble remains unchanged, serving as a steadfast representation of its nature and delivering a moral lesson.
Unyielding, defensive, pragmatic, and somewhat cynical. It is not malicious but acts purely according to its nature and self-preservation.
Locations
Hedge with Bramble
A dense, thorny hedge forming a barrier, with a particularly aggressive bramble bush growing directly in its center, its sharp thorns capable of tearing flesh.
Mood: tense, dangerous, unwelcoming
The Fox attempts to escape the hounds by crossing the hedge and is injured by the Bramble, leading to their confrontation.