# The Fox and the Stork explained — Aesop's Fables

> Chapter companion for Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

## What happens

The Fox invites the Stork to dinner but serves soup in a shallow dish, which the Stork cannot eat. The Stork retaliates by inviting the Fox to dinner and serving food in a narrow-necked pitcher, which the Fox cannot access, teaching him a lesson in fairness.

## Themes in this chapter

### Cunning and Deception

The Fox's trick and the Stork's counter-trick illustrate how deception can be met with equal cunning.

### Justice and Consequence

The Stork's retaliation serves as a form of poetic justice, teaching the Fox that his own trickery has consequences.

## Character check-ins

### The Fox

The Fox plays a trick on the Stork by serving soup in a flat dish, but later suffers the same treatment when the Stork serves food in a narrow pitcher.

### The Stork

The Stork is initially unable to eat the soup from the flat dish, but later turns the tables by serving food in a pitcher that only she can access.

## Key lines

> The Fox lapped it up with great relish, but the Stork with her long bill tried in vain to partake of the savoury broth.

The Fox eagerly ate the soup, while the Stork could not eat it because her beak couldn't reach the liquid.

_Highlights the Fox's selfishness and the Stork's initial disadvantage._

> Thus, while she enjoyed her dinner, the Fox sat by hungry and helpless, for it was impossible for him to reach the tempting contents of the vessel.

The Stork ate happily while the Fox, unable to get to the food, went hungry.

_Emphasizes the reversal of fortunes and the lesson learned._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-fox-and-the-stork
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