Aesop
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Greece

The Fox and the Sour Grapes

A fox fails to reach grapes and convinces himself they are sour, leaving hungry and disappointed.
Perseverance
Self-Improvement
Resilience
Aesop's Fables - The Fox and the Sour Grapes
Audio available for B1 version

One hot summer day, a fox was walking through a vineyard when he came across a bunch of grapes hanging from a high vine. The grapes looked ripe and juicy, and the fox's mouth watered at the sight of them.

The fox tried to jump up and reach the grapes, but they were too high for him. He tried again and again, but each time he fell back to the ground.

Feeling frustrated and hungry, the fox finally gave up and walked away. As he went, he muttered to himself, "Those grapes were probably sour anyway. I don't even like sour grapes."

And so, the fox convinced himself that the grapes were not worth having and left the vineyard, still hungry and disappointed.

One sizzlin' summer day, a fox, smooth as a jazz pianist and as cunning as a... well, a fox, was prancing through a vineyard. Suddenly, he spotted a bunch of grapes dangling from a high vine. "Oh, look at those!" he exclaimed. "Ripe and juicy, just like my dance moves!"

Those grapes looked so tantalizing, they made his mouth water more than a stand-up comedian at an open-mic night. "Time to jump into action!" he declared, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

First jump: "Hah! Almost there, you teasing little grapes!"

Second jump: "What's this? Playing hard to get, are we?"

Third jump: "Oh, come on! I'm not that vertically challenged!"

Each attempt saw the fox fall back to the ground, his frustration growing like an audience's laughter at a comedy club.

Finally, with all the dignity of a comedian caught wearing socks with sandals, the fox gave up and sauntered away, attempting to maintain his suave demeanor.

"Those grapes?" he scoffed. "Probably sour anyway, like last year's fruitcake. I don't even like sour grapes. Much like I don't care for cats who think they're running the country."

The fox strutted off, trying to look as cool and unfazed as possible, like a rockstar leaving the stage.

"I mean, really, grapes on a high vine? That's like putting a chocolate eclair on the ceiling. Who does that?" he muttered, convincing himself that the grapes were as unimportant as a bee thinking it's Napoleon.

And so, the fox left the vineyard, his stomach empty but his pride intact, still hungry, disappointed, and just a touch more sarcastic than when he'd arrived.

In a vineyard bright and grand,
A fox went walking through the land.
A bunch of grapes caught his keen eye,
Hanging from a vine so high.

Juicy, ripe, they seemed a treat,
His mouth watered at this sweet meet.
"Oh, those grapes, I must obtain,
Or else I've walked this path in vain."

With a leap and a bound, he made his try,
But the grapes hung far too high.
Again he jumped with all his might,
But the grapes stayed just out of sight.

He jumped and jumped, oh, he tried and tried,
But each time, he fell back, denied.
His frustration grew, his stomach did ache,
How much more could the poor fox take?

"I don't want them!" he declared with a huff,
"Those grapes are sour, enough's enough!"
Away he went, still hungry, quite sad,
Convincing himself it wasn't so bad.

"They're not worth having," he muttered low,
And left the vineyard with nothing to show.
Though he walked away, we understand,
Sometimes things don't go as planned.

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the fox decided the grapes were sour without tasting them?
  2. Can you think of a time when you wanted something, but then decided you didn't want it because you couldn't have it?
  3. How do you think the fox could have handled the situation differently?
  4. Why do you think it's easier sometimes to pretend we don't want something, rather than admit we can't have it?
  5. What does this story teach us about handling disappointment and our desires?

Fable Quotes

Keep trying, for even the highest goals are within reach if you never give up.
Don't let disappointment cloud your judgment; look beyond your desires.
When life disappoints, let resilience guide you to new horizons.
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