Section 92
The Wild Boar and the Fox explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Wild Boar was engaged in whetting his tusks upon the trunk of a tree in the forest when a Fox came by and, seeing what he was at, said to him, "Why are you doing that, pray? The huntsmen are not out to-day, and there are no other dangers at hand that I can see." "True, my...
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Public-domain original
A Wild Boar was engaged in whetting his tusks upon the trunk of a tree
in the forest when a Fox came by and, seeing what he was at, said to
him, "Why are you doing that, pray? The huntsmen are not out to-day,
and there are no other dangers at hand that I can see." "True, my
friend," replied the Boar, "but the instant my life is in danger I
shall need to use my tusks. There'll be no time to sharpen them then."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A boar sharpens his tusks before danger arrives.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches preparation before crisis, not after it begins.
Characters in this scene
- Wild Boar: 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 fox asks why the boar sharpens his tusks with no enemy nearby. The boar says danger leaves no time to prepare.