The Fox and the Stork

Once upon a time, a clever fox and an elegant stork lived in the same forest and had become acquainted through their occasional meetings at the woodland stream. The fox, who was known for his cunning nature and love of practical jokes, decided it would be amusing to invite the stork to dinner.

“My dear Stork,” said the fox with what appeared to be genuine friendliness, “would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner tomorrow evening? I’ve been working on a special recipe, and I would love to share it with such a distinguished neighbor.”

The stork, who was naturally gracious and well-mannered, was pleased by the invitation. “How kind of you, Fox,” she replied with a graceful bow of her long neck. “I would be delighted to accept your invitation. It’s so nice when neighbors can share a meal together.”

The fox grinned to himself, already anticipating the trick he planned to play. “Excellent! Come to my den just as the sun sets, and we’ll have a wonderful feast together.”

The next evening, the stork arrived at the fox’s den precisely on time, as was her nature. She had spent time grooming her beautiful feathers and looked forward to what she hoped would be the beginning of a true friendship with her neighbor.

“Welcome, welcome!” said the fox, greeting her at the entrance to his den with apparent enthusiasm. “I’m so glad you could come! Please, make yourself comfortable while I bring out our dinner.”

The stork settled herself politely and waited, her long neck held gracefully and her keen eyes taking in the cozy surroundings of the fox’s home.

Soon, the fox emerged from his kitchen carrying what appeared to be a delicious meal. The wonderful aroma of rich, savory soup filled the air, and the stork’s mouth began to water in anticipation.

“I’ve prepared my famous soup,” announced the fox proudly. “It’s made with the finest ingredients from throughout the forest—tender mushrooms, fresh herbs, and the most flavorful broth you’ve ever tasted.”

But when the fox set down the meal, the stork immediately saw the problem. The delicious soup had been served in two very shallow dishes—so shallow that they were almost like plates with slightly raised edges.

The fox sat down and immediately began lapping up his soup with his tongue, just as was natural for him. “Mmm, delicious!” he said between slurps. “Please, don’t be shy! Dig in and enjoy!”

The stork looked down at her shallow dish with growing dismay. Her beak was long and narrow, perfectly designed for catching fish in deep water, but completely unsuited for eating from a flat dish. No matter how she tried, she could only manage to wet the very tip of her beak.

She attempted to drink the soup by dipping her beak into the shallow dish, but she could barely get a taste. Meanwhile, the fox continued to lap up his soup enthusiastically, occasionally glancing up at the stork with barely concealed amusement.

“Is everything all right, my dear Stork?” asked the fox with mock concern. “You’re not eating much. I do hope the soup is to your liking.”

The stork realized that she was being made the victim of a practical joke, but she was too polite to make a scene. “The soup smells absolutely wonderful, Fox,” she replied diplomatically. “I’m just not very hungry this evening, I’m afraid.”

The fox finished his entire portion of soup and even licked his dish clean, while the stork sat there having managed only a few tiny drops. She left the fox’s den that evening feeling both hungry and humiliated, but she did not let her anger show.

“Thank you for dinner, Fox,” she said graciously as she prepared to leave. “It was very… educational. I hope you’ll allow me to return the favor soon. Would you care to dine with me at my home next week?”

The fox, pleased with the success of his joke and eager to see what other tricks he might play, readily accepted. “I would be honored, dear Stork. I look forward to sampling your cooking!”

For the next week, the stork carefully planned her revenge. She wanted to teach the fox a lesson about treating others fairly, but she also wanted to do it in a way that would make her point crystal clear.

When the evening arrived, the fox appeared at the stork’s home with a hearty appetite and a big smile. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week!” he announced. “What delicious treats have you prepared for us?”

“I’ve made something very special,” replied the stork sweetly. “It’s a recipe that’s been in my family for generations—a rich, flavorful stew that I think you’ll find quite memorable.”

The stork led the fox to her dining area, where the most wonderful smells were indeed wafting through the air. The fox’s mouth watered as he anticipated another opportunity to play tricks on his host.

But when the stork brought out the meal, the fox’s expression quickly changed. The delicious stew had been served in two tall, narrow-necked jars—the kind with openings so small that only a creature with a long, thin beak could possibly reach the food inside.

The stork gracefully inserted her long beak into her jar and began eating the stew with obvious pleasure. “Mmm, this is delicious!” she said. “Please, Fox, don’t be polite—eat up!”

The fox stared at his jar in growing frustration. The opening was barely wide enough for him to get his nose inside, and certainly far too narrow for his tongue to reach the stew. He could smell the wonderful food just inches away, but it might as well have been on the moon for all the good it did him.

He tried putting his nose into the jar, but he could only reach a tiny bit of the liquid at the very top. He tried tipping the jar, but the opening was too small for the stew to pour out easily. Meanwhile, the stork continued to enjoy her meal, occasionally looking up to watch the fox’s struggles.

“Is there a problem with your dinner, Fox?” asked the stork innocently. “I do hope it’s to your taste. I worked so hard to prepare it just right.”

The fox realized immediately that he was experiencing exactly what he had put the stork through the week before. The stork had cleverly turned his own trick back on him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He sat there feeling foolish and hungry as the stork finished her entire portion of stew, savoring every drop.

“Well,” said the stork as she delicately cleaned her beak, “I do hope you enjoyed your dinner as much as I enjoyed mine at your home last week.”

The fox understood perfectly what she meant. He had been given a taste of his own medicine, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“I… I see your point, Stork,” he said quietly, his usual cunning replaced by genuine embarrassment. “I suppose I deserved this after the way I treated you.”

The stork looked at him thoughtfully. “Fox, I don’t enjoy playing tricks or making others uncomfortable. But sometimes the only way to help someone understand how their actions affect others is to let them experience it themselves.”

The fox nodded, feeling both ashamed of his behavior and impressed by the stork’s clever lesson. “You’re absolutely right, and I apologize for my rudeness last week. If you’re willing to give me another chance, I promise that any future dinners between us will be served in dishes that we can both enjoy equally.”

The stork smiled graciously. “I think that would be the beginning of a much better friendship, don’t you?”

From that day forward, the fox never again tried to trick or embarrass others with practical jokes. He had learned that treating others poorly only led to being treated poorly in return, and that true friendship was built on respect and consideration, not on tricks and pranks.

Moral: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Those who trick or deceive others shouldn’t be surprised when they receive the same treatment in return. True friendship is based on mutual respect and consideration.