Fox And the Grapes

One balmy late summer afternoon, a fox was padding through the countryside. His russet coat gleamed under the sun, and a gentle wind rustled the leaves in the hedgerows.

The air was filled with the cheerful songs of birds, creating a scene of perfect tranquility. The fox, however, was too hungry to enjoy it. He scanned the landscape intently, his stomach growling with emptiness.

“I must find some food soon, or I won’t last the day!” he worried to himself.

Just then, his eyes fell upon a lush vine draped over the roof of an old farmhouse. Dangling from its tendrils were plump, inviting bunches of grapes, their skins shimmering in the sunlight.

“My salvation!” the fox thought, and he trotted eagerly towards the farm.

Looking up, he saw sparrows and blackbirds feasting happily on the grapes, devouring one bunch after another. Their enjoyment was a sure sign of how delicious the fruit must be.

“This will be simple for someone of my skill,” the fox boasted inwardly. He took a few steps back, crouched low, and sprang into the air, swiping a paw at the nearest cluster.

But he grasped nothing but air, tumbling back to the earth empty-pawed.

“My approach was off,” he muttered. “A little more momentum, and they will be mine.”

He tried again, leaping even higher, but once more his paws found only emptiness. Again and again he jumped, each attempt as fruitless as the last.

After what felt like an hour of futile effort, the fox was panting and worn out. Furious and frustrated, he finally sneered at the vine, “Hmph! Why should I bother? It’s not as if those grapes are even worth having. I’ll bet they’re horribly sour and not sweet at all!”

The birds, who had been watching his struggle, simply continued their peaceful meal. With his pride wounded and his stomach still empty, the fox turned his back and stalked off to continue his search elsewhere.

Moral of the Story:

It is easy to despise what you cannot have.

This classic fable, “The Fox and the Grapes,” teaches us that people often belittle or criticize goals and desires simply because they find them too difficult to achieve.