Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Fox and the Hedgehog explained
A Fox, exhausted after being swept away by a river, lies helpless as horseflies feed on him.
What happens
A Fox, exhausted after being swept away by a river, lies helpless as horseflies feed on him. A Hedgehog offers to drive the flies away, but the Fox refuses, explaining that the satiated flies take little blood now, whereas new hungry ones would drain him completely.
Themes in this chapter
Wisdom and Foolishness
The Fox demonstrates wisdom by recognizing that removing the current flies would invite a worse fate, illustrating the value of accepting a lesser evil.
Cunning and Deception
The Fox's clever reasoning to avoid the Hedgehog's well-meaning intervention shows a cunning understanding of his situation.
Characters to notice
- The Fox
The Fox is swept away by a river, bruised and exhausted, and lies helpless as horseflies feed on him. He wisely refuses the Hedgehog's offer to remove the flies.
- The Hedgehog
The Hedgehog sees the Fox's plight and offers to brush away the tormenting flies, but is stopped by the Fox's reasoning.
Key passages
“A Fox, in swimming across a rapid river, was swept away by the current and carried a long way downstream in spite of his struggles, until at last, bruised and exhausted, he managed to scramble on to dry ground from a backwater.”
A Fox tried to swim across a fast river but was carried far downstream by the current. Despite his efforts, he ended up bruised and exhausted, finally managing to crawl onto dry land from a calm pool.
Describes the Fox's perilous journey and his weakened state.
“Oh, please, no, not on any account, for these flies have sucked their fill and are taking very little from me now; but, if you drive them off, another swarm of hungry ones will come and suck all the blood I have left, and leave me without a drop in my veins.”
Please don't, because these flies are already full and barely bother me. If you chase them away, a new swarm of hungry flies will come and drain all my remaining blood.
The Fox explains his reasoning for refusing help, highlighting a practical wisdom.