Aesop
|
Greece

The Fox and The Mask

A fox wore a mask to impress his friends but learned to be true to himself after only scaring them.
Identity
Authenticity
Consequences
Aesop's Fables - The Fox and The Mask
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, a fox came across a mask lying on the ground. Being curious, the fox picked up the mask and examined it closely.

The mask was beautifully made and had a very realistic appearance. The fox was fascinated by it and thought it would make a great addition to his collection of treasures. So, he decided to wear the mask and show it off to his friends.

The fox put on the mask and went to meet his friends. But, his friends did not recognize him and thought he was a stranger. They were frightened and ran away, leaving the fox alone and embarrassed.

The fox soon realized that he had made a mistake by wearing the mask. He took it off and threw it away, realizing that it was better to be himself and not try to be something he was not.

Once upon a time, a fox found something super-duper cool on the ground. "Whoa, a mask! Like, a really fancy one!"

The fox picked it up, twirling it around. "This isn't just any mask. This is, like, a Hollywood star mask! I bet even superheroes would get jealous!"

Thinking he had just found the coolest thing ever, the fox couldn't resist. He put on the mask. "Ta-da! Look at me! I'm ready for the red carpet. Or, you know, the forest floor, which is kinda like the red carpet for animals!"

So off he went, strutting through the forest like he was the biggest star at an award show. He was sure his friends would think he was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Or, you know, since the invention of digging holes. That's pretty cool, too.

But here comes the funny part. His friends didn't recognize him!

His bunny friend looked up and yelled, "Stranger danger!" and hopped away so fast, he looked like a bouncy ball.

The turtle saw him and said, "Yikes! Not today!" and tried to hide in her shell. But you know, it's a turtle, so it was more like, "Not...to...daaaay."

Our fox friend scratched his head. "Wait a minute! It's me, guys! Your buddy, the one and only, the spectacular, the amazing... Oh, never mind."

Finally, the fox understood that looking cool wasn't as fun as being recognized by your pals. So, he took off the mask and tossed it aside. "Well, I guess it's back to being regular old me. And you know what? That's perfectly fine!"

And from then on, he realized that masks might make you look cool, but nothing's cooler than just being yourself.

Sly Fox found a mask one day,
Gorgeous and real, in every way.
He thought, "Oh, how this mask will delight!
I must show my friends, it's just so right!"

Fox wore the mask with pride and glee,
To the woods, where his friends would be.
But when they saw him, what a surprise!
They didn't know him, couldn't recognize.

"Who's this stranger?" they all did say,
And one by one, they dashed away.
Fox stood alone, his heart sank low,
His masked adventure, a total no-show.

Off came the mask, into the air,
Fox thought, "Being me is only fair."
He learned a lesson, plain and true,
Being yourself is the best thing to do.

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the fox decided to wear the mask?
  2. How do you think the fox felt when his friends ran away from him?
  3. Have you ever pretended to be something or someone you're not to impress others? How did that make you feel?
  4. What does this story teach us about the importance of being true to ourselves?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our daily lives to appreciate our true selves and not pretend to be someone else?

Fable Quotes

Be true to yourself, for pretending to be someone else can lead to loneliness.
True happiness comes from being genuine and authentic, not from pretending to be someone else.
Actions have consequences, and sometimes the price we pay for disguising our true selves is loneliness.
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