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The Fox and the Stork

Greek Fables

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The Fox and the Stork

A Fox once invited a Stork to dinner and, being in a mischievous mood, served nothing but soup in a very shallow dish. The Fox lapped it up with ease, but the Stork, with her long beak, could not manage a single drop. She left the table as hungry as when she arrived. To return the favor, the Stork invited the Fox to dinner the following week. She served the meal in a tall, narrow-necked jar. The Stork easily reached the food with her long bill, while the Fox could only lick the outside of the vessel. The Fox realized his mistake as the Stork dined heartily, proving that those who practice trickery must expect to be paid back in kind.

The moral
Do not play tricks on others if you are not prepared to have the same trick played on you.

Questions about this story

What is the moral of The Fox and the Stork?

The moral is that you should treat others the way you wish to be treated, as trickery often results in being tricked in return.

Who wrote The Fox and the Stork?

The story is attributed to Aesop, a storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE.

Why couldn't the Stork eat the Fox's soup?

The Fox served the soup in a very shallow dish, which was impossible for the Stork to use because of her long, narrow beak.

How did the Stork get revenge on the Fox?

The Stork invited the Fox to dinner and served the food in a tall, narrow-necked jar that the Fox's snout could not reach into.

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