The Farmer and the Fox

In a fertile valley surrounded by rolling hills and ancient forests, there lived an industrious farmer who took great pride in his bountiful land. His orchards produced the sweetest fruits, his fields the most abundant grain, and his garden the crispest vegetables in the region. But the farmer’s greatest joy was his collection of plump, healthy chickens that provided him with fresh eggs each morning and occasionally a hearty meal for special occasions.

The farmer had built a sturdy henhouse to protect his precious flock. It was constructed of solid wood with a sloped roof to keep out the rain, and it stood near the farmhouse where he could keep a watchful eye on it. Every evening, he carefully closed and latched the door to keep his chickens safe from predators during the night.

Unknown to the farmer, a clever fox had recently moved into the nearby woods. This fox had striking red fur that shimmered in the sunlight and sharp, intelligent eyes that missed nothing. He was known among the other woodland creatures for his cunning and resourcefulness.

One evening, as the fox was prowling along the edge of the farmer’s property in search of his dinner, a delicious scent caught his attention. Following his sensitive nose, he discovered the farmer’s henhouse. Through a small gap in the wooden slats, he could see plump chickens settling down for the night, and his mouth watered at the thought of such a feast.

“What luck!” the fox thought to himself. “This will be the easiest meal I’ve ever had.”

The fox circled the henhouse, looking for a way in. The farmer had been careful in his construction, but the fox noticed that one of the wooden slats near the ground had a slight weakness where the wood had begun to rot. With determined effort, the fox worked at this spot with his strong teeth and clever paws until he created a hole just large enough to squeeze through.

Once inside, the fox quickly seized a plump hen. The other chickens awakened and created a tremendous commotion with their frightened squawking, but by the time the farmer grabbed his lantern and rushed outside in his nightclothes, the fox had already escaped with his prize through the same hole he had created.

The next morning, the farmer discovered the hole in the henhouse and the missing chicken. “So, a fox has been at my hens,” he muttered grimly. “Well, this will be the first and last chicken he takes from me.”

The farmer immediately repaired the damaged slat and reinforced it with a metal plate. Satisfied with his work, he returned to his daily chores, confident that his chickens were now safe.

But the fox, having enjoyed such a delicious meal, was determined to feast again from the farmer’s henhouse. That night, he returned and circled the structure, looking for another weakness. Finding the repaired section now impenetrable, he instead climbed onto the roof and discovered that one of the roof tiles was loose. With patient effort, he shifted it aside and created an opening just large enough to slip through.

Once again, the chickens raised an alarm with their frantic squawking, and once again, the farmer rushed out with his lantern. But the fox was too quick and had already disappeared into the darkness with another plump hen.

The following morning, the farmer found the displaced roof tile and immediately set about making repairs, this time securing all the tiles firmly in place. “This fox is clever,” the farmer acknowledged, “but I will be cleverer still.”

This pattern continued for several days. Each night, the fox would find a new way to enter the henhouse – through a ventilation hole, by digging under the foundation, or by pushing aside a loose board. And each morning, the farmer would discover the breach and make the henhouse even more secure.

The farmer grew increasingly frustrated but also grudgingly impressed by the fox’s persistence and ingenuity. “This is no ordinary fox,” he said to himself. “I’ll need to outsmart him rather than simply trying to keep him out.”

After much thought, the farmer devised a plan. Instead of merely reinforcing the henhouse, he would set a trap. The farmer created a special entrance – an opening that seemed to provide easy access to the henhouse but was, in fact, rigged to a mechanism that would cause a heavy wooden door to drop down once anything passed through.

That evening, the farmer left this apparent “weakness” in the henhouse defenses and waited inside his own home, watching from the window.

As night fell, the fox appeared at the edge of the woods. He approached the henhouse cautiously, circling it as usual to check for any signs of danger. His keen eyes spotted the new opening, and after a moment’s hesitation, he approached to investigate.

“The farmer must have missed this spot,” the fox thought smugly. “How fortunate for me, and how careless of him!”

Without further hesitation, the fox slipped through the opening. As he did so, his weight triggered the mechanism, and the heavy wooden door came crashing down behind him, sealing the entrance. The fox was trapped!

The commotion alerted the farmer, who quickly approached the henhouse with his lantern held high. Through the slats, he could see the fox frantically searching for an escape route, but finding none.

“So, my friend,” said the farmer, “we finally meet face to face. You’ve led me on quite a chase these past few days.”

The fox, realizing he was caught, sat down and looked at the farmer with what almost seemed like respect in his clever eyes.

The farmer had intended to deal harshly with the thief who had been stealing his chickens, but something in the fox’s dignified bearing gave him pause. This was not just any predator, but a worthy opponent who had matched wits with him night after night.

After a moment’s contemplation, the farmer made a surprising decision. Instead of harming the fox, he decided to transport him far away to the other side of the forest, where there were plenty of wild rabbits and mice for a fox to hunt, and no farmyards to tempt him.

The next morning, the farmer placed the fox in a secure cage and loaded it onto his cart. After a long journey to the distant side of the forest, he released the fox into the wild.

“Go now,” said the farmer. “Find your dinner among the creatures of the forest, not from the farms of men. You’ve proven your cleverness – now use it to hunt as nature intended.”

The fox hesitated for a moment, looking back at the farmer with those intelligent eyes, as if acknowledging the wisdom of the man’s decision. Then, with a flick of his bushy tail, he disappeared into the underbrush.

The farmer returned to his farm, and from that day forward, his henhouse remained undisturbed. Occasionally, while working near the edge of his property, he would glimpse a flash of red fur in the distance – the fox, keeping to the wilderness but perhaps remembering the battle of wits with the clever farmer.

Moral: Persistence and ingenuity are admirable qualities, but they should be directed toward honorable ends. Even the cleverest schemes will eventually meet their match when opposed by equal determination and wisdom.