Read and Understand Fables: 'The Fox and the Stork'

A fable is a short story that has a moral, or message. The characters in fables are often talking animals.

Read this famous fable and then have a go at answering the questions in the activity. Remember that you can look back at the story as often as you like by clicking the red help button on the screen.

The Fox and the Stork

The fox and the stork were once on good terms with each other, but the fox could not resist playing a trick on his friend.

'I have made a delicious soup,' the fox said to the stork. 'Why don't you come round for dinner tonight and share it with me?'

So the stork arrived at the fox's house, looking forward to her meal. However, the malicious fox served the soup up in very shallow bowls, which he could easily lap from but the dejected stork, with her long beak, couldn't manage at all. She could only gaze hungrily at the fox as he finished his soup and licked his lips.

'Oh dear,' said the fox. 'It looks like you are not keen on my soup after all. Here, let me finish it for you.' And he lapped up the stork's soup as well as his own.

'Please don't apologise,' said the stork. 'I hope you will come round to dinner with me tomorrow evening.'

So the fox arrived at the stork's house the next evening, looking forward to his meal. To his dismay, the meal was served up in tall jars with narrow necks. The stork ate her meal easily, dipping her long beak into the jar, but the fox could eat nothing at all and went home hungry.

The moral of the story is 'One bad turn deserves another'.