Aesop
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Greece

The Farmer and The Fox

A farmer catches a fox that destroyed his crops, but in his anger, he sets it on fire, leading to disastrous consequences and regret.
Regret
Responsibility
Problem-Solving
Aesop's Fables - The Farmer and The Fox
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, there was a Farmer who owned beautiful vineyards and lush orchards. But he had a problem. Foxes would sneak in and destroy his precious fruits, causing much trouble to him.

One day, the Farmer finally managed to catch one of these tricky Foxes in a trap. He was so furious at the Fox for all the damage it had caused that he decided to teach it a lesson it would never forget.

He tied a piece of rope soaked in oil to the Fox's tail. Then he set the rope on fire and let the Fox run free. The Fox, terrified and in great pain, dashed off as fast as it could.

The terrified Fox raced through a large field. This field was filled with the Farmer's corn, standing tall and golden, ready for harvest. But as the Fox ran, sparks from his flaming tail flew off and landed among the corn stalks.

The dry corn quickly caught fire from the sparks. Before long, a strong wind blew, and the fire spread quickly throughout the entire field. The flames consumed all the corn, leaving the field in ashes.

When the Farmer saw his field destroyed, he was filled with regret. He realized that in his anger, he had caused more harm to himself than the Fox ever did. He wished he had thought of a safer and kinder way to handle the situation.

Once upon a time, in a land where vineyards played peekaboo between rolling hills, a Farmer was having a bit of a situation. His juicy fruits were being nommed on. And not by him! "Blimey! Why can't those foxes just munch on cereal or something?" he muttered.

In the midst of all this fruity chaos, one mischievous Fox was always sneaking about, treating the Farmer's orchard like it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. Imagine, a fox with a belly full of apples doing the cha-cha slide. That was the scene every night!

Then one day, the Farmer caught that sneaky Fox. "Gotcha!" he said, waving a finger. "You think you're cleverer than a slice of pie, don’t you? Time for a lesson!"

In a rather over-the-top move, the Farmer tied a rope soaked in oil to the Fox's tail, then lit it. A sizzle, a pop, and WHOOSH! The fox was off like a birthday balloon, only with more urgency. "Did anyone get the number of that tractor?" the fox exclaimed, darting around. The fox zipped through a cornfield, which looked like a golden sea of lollipops. But, sparks from his tail were acting all naughty, starting little fires everywhere.

The corn, being the dramatic plants they were, went "Oh no, we're too young to pop!" And pop they did! The whole field was soon a crispy, crunchy mess.

Watching the inferno, the Farmer's eyes went as big as saucers. "Oh, chips and gravy," he sighed, "That was NOT in the plan."

When the smoke cleared, the Farmer looked at the roasted field, realizing he'd made a bigger mess than any fox ever could. "Maybe next time, I'll just install a fancy fox alarm," he pondered.

And so, the Farmer learned that acting in anger can sometimes backfire... like, literally. Sometimes, it's better to take a deep breath, count to ten, and maybe have a cookie.

A farmer had fruits oh so fine,
Grapes from the vine, a taste divine.
But sneaky foxes came to feast,
Eating his crops, to say the least.

So mad he got, a trap he set,
Caught a fox, you can safely bet.
In his fury, an idea grew,
A fiery lesson that fox would rue.

Tied a rope to the fox's tail,
Lit it up without fail.
Off dashed Fox, a flaming sight,
Through the cornfields in the night.

Sparks flew here and sparks flew there,
Landing in the corn with little care.
The wind picked up, a dance it led,
Turning golden corn to fiery red.

Field of corn was now ash and smog,
The farmer stood, his mind a fog.
He looked and thought, "What cost I've paid,
For acting out in angry raid."

In trying to teach the fox a lesson,
It was he who had learned a true confession.
Be wise and kind in what you do,
Or the harm may circle back to you.

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why was the Farmer so angry at the Fox in the story?
  2. What happened when the Farmer tried to punish the Fox in a harmful way?
  3. Can you think of a time when you were angry and did something you later regretted, like the Farmer?
  4. What could the Farmer have done differently to solve his problem with the Fox?
  5. What lessons can we learn from the Farmer's mistake and how can we apply them in our lives?

Fable Quotes

In anger, regret lies; for when revenge takes hold, it often burns the self in the flames.
Responsibility means considering the consequences of our actions and choosing wisely to prevent unintended harm.
Seeking revenge may ignite a fiery disaster, but wise problem-solving preserves harmony and prevents regret.
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