The Fox and The Hedgehog
Crafty Fox gets trapped, attracting mosquitoes; Hedgehog offers help, but Fox declines, knowing new hungry mosquitoes would come if the full ones were gone.
In the middle of a large forest, there was a clever Fox. One day, the Fox had an accident. His tail got stuck in a bush, and he couldn’t get free. Since he couldn’t move, the small mosquitoes in the forest started to notice him.
The mosquitoes saw the trapped Fox as a chance to get some food. They flew around him, and one by one, they bit him and drank his blood. The Fox felt pain with every bite, but he couldn’t stop them.
A friendly Hedgehog was walking by and saw the Fox’s problem. Feeling sorry for him, the Hedgehog offered to help. "Dear Fox," the Hedgehog said, "I can roll over and use my sharp spines to push away the mosquitoes."
But the Fox, even though he was hurting, quickly said, "No, no, don’t do that!"
The Hedgehog was surprised. "Why not?" he asked. "They are biting you and making you suffer."
The Fox explained, "The mosquitoes that are on me now are full. They have already taken as much blood as they can. If you chase them away, new hungry mosquitoes will come. Those new ones will bite me even more. It’s better to let these stay."
So, the Hedgehog listened to the Fox, and the Fox stayed still, knowing that it was better to have the full mosquitoes than to attract new, hungry ones.
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In the middle of a large forest, there was a clever Fox.
One day, the Fox had an accident.
His tail got stuck in a bush, and he couldn’t get free.
Since he couldn’t move, the small mosquitoes in the forest started to notice him.
The mosquitoes saw the trapped Fox as a chance to get some food.
They flew around him, and one by one, they bit him and drank his blood.
The Fox felt pain with every bite, but he couldn’t stop them.
A friendly Hedgehog was walking by and saw the Fox’s problem.
Feeling sorry for him, the Hedgehog offered to help.
"Dear Fox," the Hedgehog said, "I can roll over and use my sharp spines to push away the mosquitoes."
But the Fox, even though he was hurting, quickly said, "No, no, don’t do that!"
The Hedgehog was surprised. "Why not?" he asked.
"They are biting you and making you suffer."
The Fox explained, "The mosquitoes that are on me now are full.
They have already taken as much blood as they can.
If you chase them away, new hungry mosquitoes will come.
Those new ones will bite me even more.
It’s better to let these stay."
So, the Hedgehog listened to the Fox, and the Fox stayed still, knowing that it was better to have the full mosquitoes than to attract new, hungry ones.
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Word Finder
Clever
Smart and good at solving problems.Accident
Something bad that happens by mistake.Stuck
Caught or trapped in one place.Mosquitoes
Tiny insects that bite and drink blood.Notice
To see or become aware of something.Chance
A good opportunity or possibility to do something.Suffer
To feel pain or sadness.Spines
Sharp, hard parts on some animals' bodies.Surprised
Feeling shocked or amazed by something unexpected.Attract
To bring something closer by being interesting.
Understanding Questions
- Where was the Fox when he had his accident?
- What happened to the Fox after he got stuck in the bush?
- Who saw the Fox and offered to help him?
- Why did the Fox refuse the Hedgehog's help?
- What reason did the Fox give for letting the mosquitoes stay?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Fox refused the Hedgehog's help?
- What does this story teach us about the idea of "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know"?
- Can you think of a time when you decided to keep a difficult situation instead of risking it getting worse?
- How did the Fox show wisdom and understanding of his situation?
- How can we apply the Fox's lesson in our own lives when dealing with challenging circumstances?
Fable Quotes
In the face of adversity, the wise adapt, knowing that endurance can often yield the greatest outcome.
Patience endures discomfort, for it knows that time brings relief and minimizes the harm.
True wisdom lies in enduring temporary discomfort to avoid greater harm in the long run.
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