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.

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.

A fox holding up a dramatic mask that only startled his own friends
Text Version
Levels B1

Audio available for B1 version

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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?
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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