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
Featured in Fable Book
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, there was a curious fox who loved finding new things. One day, while walking through the forest, the fox found a mask lying on the ground. The mask was very pretty and looked almost real.

The fox thought, "This mask would look great in my collection of treasures!" He decided to try it on. The mask fit perfectly and made the fox look different. He felt proud of his new appearance and wanted to impress his friends.

The fox put on the mask and went to see his friends. But when they saw him, they didn't know it was their friend. They thought he was a stranger and got scared. They ran away quickly, leaving the fox feeling sad and embarrassed.

The fox sat down and thought about what happened. He realized that wearing the mask made his friends not recognize him. He took off the mask and threw it away. The fox learned that it was better to be himself and not try to be something he was not.

And from that day on, the fox was happy just being who he was.

Once upon a time, there was a curious fox who loved finding new things. One day, while walking through the forest, the fox found a mask lying on the ground. The mask was very pretty and looked almost real.

The fox thought, "This mask would look great in my collection of treasures!" He decided to try it on. The mask fit perfectly and made the fox look different. He felt proud of his new appearance and wanted to impress his friends.

The fox put on the mask and went to see his friends. But when they saw him, they didn't know it was their friend. They thought he was a stranger and got scared. They ran away quickly, leaving the fox feeling sad and embarrassed.

The fox sat down and thought about what happened. He realized that wearing the mask made his friends not recognize him. He took off the mask and threw it away. The fox learned that it was better to be himself and not try to be something he was not.

And from that day on, the fox was happy just being who he was.

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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Word Finder

  1. Curious

    Wanting to know or learn new things.

  2. Mask

    A covering for the face, usually for disguise.

  3. Treasures

    Valuable or special things someone cares about.

  4. Fit

    Being the right size or shape for something.

  5. Appearance

    The way someone or something looks to others.

  6. Impress

    To make others think you are special or important.

  7. Stranger

    Someone you do not know or recognize.

  8. Embarrassed

    Feeling uncomfortable or ashamed about something.

  9. Recognize

    To know someone or something because you’ve seen it before.

  10. Realize

    To understand something suddenly or clearly.

Understanding Questions

  1. What did the fox find while walking through the forest?
  2. Why did the fox decide to wear the mask he found?
  3. How did the fox’s friends react when they saw him with the mask on?
  4. What made the fox feel sad and embarrassed after showing the mask to his friends?
  5. What did the fox learn after he took off the mask?
Word Finder
  1. Curious

    Wanting to know or learn new things.

  2. Mask

    A covering for the face, usually for disguise.

  3. Treasures

    Valuable or special things someone cares about.

  4. Fit

    Being the right size or shape for something.

  5. Appearance

    The way someone or something looks to others.

  6. Impress

    To make others think you are special or important.

  7. Stranger

    Someone you do not know or recognize.

  8. Embarrassed

    Feeling uncomfortable or ashamed about something.

  9. Recognize

    To know someone or something because you’ve seen it before.

  10. Realize

    To understand something suddenly or clearly.

Understanding Questions

    What did the fox find while walking through the forest?

    1. A mask
    2. A treasure
    3. A friend
    4. A book
  1. Why did the fox decide to wear the mask he found?

    1. To scare his friends
    2. To look cool
    3. Because it was funny
    4. To hide his face
  2. How did the fox’s friends react when they saw him with the mask on?

    1. They laughed
    2. They were scared
    3. They ignored him
    4. They cheered
  3. What made the fox feel sad and embarrassed after showing the mask to his friends?

    1. They made fun of him
    2. They didn't like it
    3. They ran away
    4. They didn't notice him
  4. What did the fox learn after he took off the mask?

    1. True friends accept you as you are
    2. Masks are fun to wear
    3. He looks better with a mask
    4. Friends like surprises
  1. What did the fox find while walking through the forest?
  2. Why did the fox decide to wear the mask he found?
  3. How did the fox’s friends react when they saw him with the mask on?
  4. What made the fox feel sad and embarrassed after showing the mask to his friends?
  5. What did the fox learn after he took off the mask?
  1. What did the fox find while walking through the forest?
  2. Why did the fox decide to wear the mask he found?
  3. How did the fox’s friends react when they saw him with the mask on?
  4. What made the fox feel sad and embarrassed after showing the mask to his friends?
  5. What did the fox learn after he took off the mask?
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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