The Fox with the Swollen Belly
A hungry fox ate a large meal in a tree but got stuck and had to wait until its belly shrank to escape.
Once upon a time, in a dense, lush forest, a very hungry fox found some bread and meat in the hollow of an old oak tree. The food was left by shepherds. With a growling stomach, the fox crept into the hole and ate until he was full. The meal was so big and hearty that his belly puffed up like a balloon.
Just then, when he tried to come out of the hole, he realized he was stuck. No matter how hard he pushed or pulled, he just couldn't get out. He was stuck! He began to moan and groan, upset about his unfortunate situation.
While the fox was groaning in despair, another fox was passing by. He asked what was wrong. The stuck fox explained he had eaten too much and now he couldn't get out of the tree.
The second fox chuckled and said, "Well, my friend, it seems you'll have to stay in there until your belly shrinks down to the size it was when you first crawled in. Only then will you be able to get out."
So, the stuck fox had no choice but to wait until he was thin enough to escape, learning a lesson about the consequences of overindulging.
Audio available for B1 version
Once upon a time, in a thick, green forest, a very hungry fox found some bread and meat in the hollow of an old oak tree.
The food was left by shepherds.
With a growling stomach, the fox crept into the hole and ate until he was full.
The meal was so big and hearty that his belly puffed up like a balloon.
When he tried to come out of the hole, he realized he was stuck.
No matter how hard he pushed or pulled, he couldn't get out. He was stuck!
He began to moan and groan, upset about his bad luck.
While the fox was groaning, another fox was passing by.
He asked what was wrong.
The stuck fox explained he had eaten too much and now he couldn't get out of the tree.
The second fox laughed and said, "Well, my friend, it looks like you'll have to stay in there until your belly shrinks back to the size it was when you first crawled in.
Only then will you be able to get out."
So, the stuck fox had to wait until he was thin enough to escape, learning a lesson about the consequences of eating too much.
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Word Finder
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the fox couldn't get out of the hole after eating so much food?
- How do you think the fox felt when he realized he was stuck?
- Can you think of a time when you or someone else wanted too much of something and it ended up causing a problem?
- What does this story teach us about moderation and the consequences of overindulging?
- How can we apply the lesson from this story in our lives, perhaps by not taking more than we need or by understanding the importance of balance?
Fable Quotes
Greed is a bottomless pit.
Moderation is key to balance.
Actions have weight, choose wisely or bear the heft.
Just One More Fable
- Consequences
- Understanding
The Donkey and His Shadow
A man hired an Donkey for his journey, but a dispute over its shadow resulted in a fight, causing them to lose the Donkey.
- Survival
- Consequences
The Hawk and The Nightingale
A magical Nightingale pleads with a hungry Hawk to spare her, offering her beautiful songs, but her pleas go unheard.
- Consequences
- Respect
The Eagle and the Beetle
An Eagle kills a Hare, Beetle seeks revenge by destroying Eagle's eggs, and Jupiter resolves the conflict.
- Caution
- Deception
A Wolf and A Sow
A sow refuses a wolf's offer to watch her piglets, seeing through the wolf's true intentions and protecting her young.