About the The fox and the stork story
“The fox and the stork” is a classic fable where a tricky fox plays a mean trick on his friend the stork, only for the stork to turn the tables with a clever trick of her own. It’s a lesson about treating others the way you want to be treated.
In this article, we share two versions of the story: the full tale and a simplified graded reader, perfect for young English learners. Along with fun questions to boost vocabulary and comprehension, your child will enjoy learning an important lesson about fairness.
Want to continue the learning fun? The Studycat Learn English app has plenty of stories, games, and lessons to keep your child engaged.
Let’s leap into The Fox and the Stork and discover how kindness and fairness go hand in hand!
The story of “The fox and the stork”
One day, a fox decided to invite his friend, the stork, over for dinner. The stork, with her long legs and long beak, was delighted to accept the invitation. She arrived at the fox’s home, looking forward to a nice meal with her friend.
But the fox had a sneaky trick in mind.
For dinner, he served a thin soup—but he didn’t put it in a bowl or pot.
Instead, he poured the soup into shallow plates!
The fox easily lapped up the soup with his tongue, but the poor stork, with her long beak, couldn’t drink a single drop. She tried and tried, but all she could do was tap her beak against the plate.
The fox, amused by the situation, chuckled and said, “I’m sorry, Stork. Is the soup not to your liking?”
But the stork knew she was being tricked.
She stayed polite, thanked the fox for the meal, and left.
The stork didn’t like being treated unfairly, but instead of getting angry, she came up with a clever plan.
A few days later, the stork invited the fox to her house for dinner.
The fox, curious to see what the stork would serve, happily accepted the invitation.
When the fox arrived, the stork served a delicious stew—but instead of using plates, she served it in tall jars with long necks.
The jars were perfect for the stork, who easily dipped her long beak into the jar and enjoyed the meal.
But the fox couldn’t eat a single bite.
His short snout couldn’t reach the food inside the tall jar, no matter how hard he tried.
The stork looked at the struggling fox and asked, “Is the stew not to your liking?”
The fox understood the message.
He had played a trick on the stork, and now she had returned the favor.
Embarrassed, the fox left, realizing he had learned a valuable lesson.
The moral of “The fox and the stork”
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
The fox’s trick backfired when the stork cleverly turned the tables. The story teaches us that if we treat others unfairly, we shouldn’t be surprised if they do the same to us. It’s always better to be kind and fair, just as we’d like others to be toward us.
Questions about “The fox and the stork”
- What did the fox serve for dinner when he invited the stork over?
- Why couldn’t the stork eat the soup from the shallow plates?
- How did the stork get back at the fox when she invited him to her house?
- What did the fox learn from the stork’s clever trick?
- What is the lesson of the story?
Answers
- The fox served a thin soup in shallow plates.
- The stork couldn’t eat the soup because her long beak couldn’t reach it in the shallow plate.
- The stork served stew in tall jars with long necks, making it easy for her to eat but impossible for the fox.
- The fox learned that playing unfair tricks on others can lead to them treating you the same way.
- The story teaches us that we should treat others the way we want to be treated.
Words to learn
- Fox: A clever animal known for being sneaky. The fox in this story plays a trick on the stork.
- Stork: A bird with long legs and a long beak. The stork cleverly gets back at the fox after being tricked.
- Soup: A liquid meal served in a bowl or plate. The fox served soup in shallow plates to trick the stork.
- Shallow: Not deep. The fox served the soup in a shallow plate, making it hard for the stork to eat.
- Jar: A tall container with a narrow neck. The stork served stew in a jar that was perfect for her beak but impossible for the fox’s short snout.
What type of story is “The fox and the stork”?
The Fox and the Stork is a fable, a short story that teaches a moral or lesson, often using animals as characters.
Who wrote “The fox and the stork”?
The Fox and the Stork is a fable by Aesop, an ancient Greek storyteller. Learn more about Aesop here.
When was “The fox and the stork” written?
The Fox and the Stork was written more than 2,500 years ago, as part of Aesop’s Fables.
Who are the main characters in “The fox and the stork”?
The main characters are the fox, who plays a trick, and the stork, who gets back at the fox with her own clever trick.
What lesson can we learn from “The fox and the stork”?
We learn that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. If we treat people unfairly, we can expect them to do the same to us.
”The fox and the stork” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)
One day, the fox invited the stork to his house for dinner.
“Come, my friend, I will make us a delicious meal,” the fox said.
When the stork arrived, the fox served soup.
But he served the soup in a shallow plate.
The fox licked the soup up easily with his tongue, but the stork could not drink it with her long beak.
She only dipped the tip of her beak in the soup and could not eat.
The fox laughed at the stork.
“Oh, are you not hungry?” he asked.
The stork did not say anything.
She was upset but had an idea.
The next day, the stork invited the fox to her house for dinner.
“Come, my friend, I will make us a delicious meal,” the stork said.
When the fox arrived, the stork served soup.
But this time, she served it in a tall, narrow jar.
The stork drank the soup easily with her long beak, but the fox couldn’t reach inside the jar with his tongue.
Now it was the stork’s turn to laugh.
“Oh, are you not hungry?” she asked.
The fox understood the lesson. He went home, feeling foolish.
Fun fact!
Did you know? In some versions of The Fox and the Stork, the stork serves the food in a narrow vase, but the lesson remains the same—don’t trick others if you wouldn’t want to be tricked in return!
