One story can imply or teach us multiple moral lessons depending on what angle we are looking at it. The Fox and the Grapes is probably one of them. I’ve read and heard the story multiple times in my childhood; now reading it again to my kids as a parent, I think this fable is mostly about humility and honesty, but it may also be about trying harder and not giving up. Again, it’s up to you, as a parent, what lesson you want to teach your child through the story. I guess there’s no right or wrong here, it’s up to your own understanding and intepretation.
A Fox one day spotted a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.
Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” and proceeded to walk away.
Moral lessons and random thoughts:
- Many pretend to despise and belittle things and others that are beyond their reach. It’s easy to despise what you can’t have or can’t become.
- Nothing comes easy without hard work, so don’t give up! Try to work harder to reach your goals.
- Being humble and true to yourself. If you can’t do something, accept it and move on. You can just walk away finding other “grapes” that suit your strength, or you can try harder or even ask others for help, but you shouldn’t and don’t need to lie to yourself. It’s ok to fail because failing allows you to discover new paths and make future success much sweeter.
Click here for a nicely formatted printout of this fable, which includes the text and the image for your kid to color. Kids tend to learn and remember better when they can use all of their senses together in certain activity.
