Short Stories » The Fox and the Grapes
The Fox and the Grapes
One afternoon, a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," said the fox.
Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again, the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them, but still failed.
Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, "They're probably sour anyway." Then he walked away.
MORAL: IT'S EASY TO DESPISE WHAT YOU CANNOT HAVE.
A note about the story
The ‘Fox and the Grapes’ is often cited as an example for cognitive dissonance: the discomfort people experience when their beliefs/actions are at odds with other beliefs/actions. In the story, the fox sees some grapes on a vine and wants to eat them. He tries to jump up, but cannot reach them because they are too high. When he realizes he will not be able to eat any grapes, the fox becomes disdainful; he tells himself that those grapes were sour and not worthy of desire anyway.
Psychologist and teacher Leon Festinger pointed out in 1957, that often, people hold two conflicting beliefs, or they believe one thing but do something that is against that belief. The resulting cognitive dissonance is psychologically distressful, and we often try to alleviate it by justifying our actions or changing our beliefs. Either way, the goal is to get our beliefs and actions in line with each other.
The Fox and the Grapes - Takeaway for Class 1,2,3
Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed on the first try. Practice makes perfect!
The Fox and the Grapes - Takeaway for Class 4,5,6
Sometimes, when things are hard to achieve, we tell ourselves we didn't want them anyway, but it's better to work hard and stay determined.
The Fox and the Grapes - Takeaway for Class 7,8,9
Making excuses for our failures instead of analyzing and improving ourselves can prevent us from growing and achieving our true potential.
3 Fun Facts on The Fox and the Grapes for Children
- This story is one of Aesop's Fables, a collection of ancient Greek tales with moral lessons.
- Foxes are clever animals, but in this story, the fox learns an important lesson about perseverance.
- The phrase ""sour grapes"" comes from this story and is used when people pretend they don’t want something because they can’t have it.
The Fox and the Grapes Quiz for Class 1,2,3
- Where did the fox find the grapes?
- How did the fox feel when he couldn’t reach the grapes?
- What did the fox say about the grapes at the end?
The Fox and the Grapes Quiz for Class 4,5,6
- Why did the fox give up trying to reach the grapes?
- What does the phrase ""sour grapes"" mean in this story?
- Do you think the fox really believed the grapes were sour? Why or why not?
The Fox and the Grapes Quiz for Class 7,8,9
- How does this story show the concept of ""rationalization""?
- Do you think the fox was being honest with himself? Explain your answer.
- Can you think of a time when people say something similar to “sour grapes” in real life?"