Section 148
The Farmer and the Fox explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Farmer was greatly annoyed by a Fox, which came prowling about his yard at night and carried off his fowls. So he set a trap for him and caught him; and in order to be revenged upon him, he tied a bunch of tow to his tail and set fire to it and let him go. As...
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Public-domain original
A Farmer was greatly annoyed by a Fox, which came prowling about his
yard at night and carried off his fowls. So he set a trap for him and
caught him; and in order to be revenged upon him, he tied a bunch of
tow to his tail and set fire to it and let him go. As ill-luck would
have it, however, the Fox made straight for the fields where the corn
was standing ripe and ready for cutting. It quickly caught fire and
was all burnt up, and the Farmer lost all his harvest.
Revenge is a two-edged sword.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A farmer tries to punish a fox but burns his own crops.
Why this scene matters
This fable warns that revenge can hurt the avenger more than the target.
Characters in this scene
- Farmer: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Fox: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The farmer ties fire to a fox’s tail. The fox runs through the fields and burns the farmer’s grain.