The Swollen Fox by Aesop for English students with a video, list of English vocabulary and some questions for discussion The Swollen Fox is now in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project. Video of the Swollen Fox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwlL9zAy_SQ The Swollen Fox A hungry fox found in a hollow oak tree a quantity of bread and meat, which some shepherds had placed there against their return. Delighted with his find, he slipped in through the narrow aperture and greedily devoured it all. But when he tried to get out again, he found himself so swollen after his big meal that ...
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The Swollen Fox by Aesop for English Students
Updated: by Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl
Time to Read: 4 minutes | 320 Views | 9 Comments on The Swollen Fox by Aesop for English Students
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Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl
Dr. Mohammad Hossein Hariri Asl is an English and Persian instructor, educator, researcher, inventor, published author, blogger, SEO expert, website developer, entrepreneur, and the creator of LELB Society. He's got a PhD in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).
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1- The fox found a quantity of bread and meat that man’s had placed in a hollow oak tree.
2- The fox desire for the delicious food outweighed his stomach so that he could not squeeze through the hole in tree.
3- The another fox advised the swollen fox that he must wait in the hollow of the tree until he shrink to his former size. Perhaps, the swollen fox’s greed lead to his death.
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1. that man’s had placed = the shepherds (plural) or the men had placed …
2. The fox desire = The fox’s desire …
3. The another fox = The other fox
4. he shrink to his former size = he shrinks / shrank (simple past tense) to his former size
5. the swollen fox’s greed lead to his death. = the swollen fox’s greed led to his death.
1. The hungry fox found in a hollow oak tree a quantity of bread and meat, which some shepherds had placed there against their return.
2 . Because the fox found himself so swollen that he couldn’t squeeze from the hole.
3 . The other fox advice was that you should wait until you shrink and get on your former size.
Thank you for elaborating on the plot of this Aesop’s fable, i.e. the swollen fox with the central themes of greed and gluttony.
I am aware of the fact that this fable wants to make this point of not being greedy. And just like this proverb highlights ( less is more), be satisfied with what you already have. However I do not completely agree with that. Obviously we should be cautious and consider consequences, but there is nothing wrong with wanting more.
You’re absolutely right. Greed or avarice should not be mistaken for pursuing your normal and legitimate dreams or goals and getting better and better in life.
Please attempt to reinterpret at least one of the proverbs brought up in this short story by linking it/them to the plot of this fable.
Greed gets you stuck—-> The first part that the fox squeeze himself in the hole to eat the bread and meat that was for the shepherds.
That’s correct. The greedy fox fell into the trap by not looking before leaping. The fox was expected to consider all the possible dangers and consequences of this tricky action, that is, getting into the hole of the oak tree for the food.