- The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf
- the Wolf and the Lamb
- the Lion the Ass and the Fox
- the Girl and the Jar of Nuts
- the Oxen and the Axle
- the old Wolf admires his Shadow
- the Frog and the Mouse
- the Jackdaw and the Fox
- the Nightingale and the Bat
- the Two Dogs
- the Boy who wouldn’t cry Wolf
- the Raindrops and the River
- the Frogs who wanted a King
- the Frog the Crab and the Snake
- the Fox the Mouse and the Grapes
- the Tortoise and the Geese
- the Birds and the Bat
- the Lion and the Hares
- Jackdaw and the Borrowed Feathers
- the Frog King and the Snake
- Jackdaw and the Pigeons
- Jackdaw and the Piece of String
- the Lion in Love
- the Wolf and the Sleeping Dog
- the Blackbird and its Wings
- the Snail the Mirror and the Monkey
- the Lion’s Breath
- the Monkey, the Goat, and the Sailboat
- the Astrologer and the Young Prince
- the Stargazer
- the Eagle and the Crow
- the Hippos at the Waterhole
- the Truce at the Waterhole
- the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs
- A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- the Frog and the Butterfly
- the Frog and the Flowers
- Another Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- the Boy and the Snake
- Two Foxes and a Bunch of Grapes
- the Hare and the Hunting Dog
- the Toad and the Frog
- the Lion the Cat and the Mice
- the Fowler and the Woodpigeons
- The Tortoises
- the Angry Wasp and the Honey Bee
- the Camel Driver and the Snake
- Fall in the Garden of Eden
- A Monument for a Lion
Two Foxes and a Bunch of Grapes after Aesop
- The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf
- the Wolf and the Lamb
- the Lion the Ass and the Fox
- the Girl and the Jar of Nuts
- the Oxen and the Axle
- the old Wolf admires his Shadow
- the Frog and the Mouse
- the Jackdaw and the Fox
- the Nightingale and the Bat
- the Two Dogs
- the Boy who wouldn’t cry Wolf
- the Raindrops and the River
- the Frogs who wanted a King
- the Frog the Crab and the Snake
- the Fox the Mouse and the Grapes
- the Tortoise and the Geese
- the Birds and the Bat
- the Lion and the Hares
- Jackdaw and the Borrowed Feathers
- the Frog King and the Snake
- Jackdaw and the Pigeons
- Jackdaw and the Piece of String
- the Lion in Love
- the Wolf and the Sleeping Dog
- the Blackbird and its Wings
- the Snail the Mirror and the Monkey
- the Lion’s Breath
- the Monkey, the Goat, and the Sailboat
- the Astrologer and the Young Prince
- the Stargazer
- the Eagle and the Crow
- the Hippos at the Waterhole
- the Truce at the Waterhole
- the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs
- A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- the Frog and the Butterfly
- the Frog and the Flowers
- Another Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- the Boy and the Snake
- Two Foxes and a Bunch of Grapes
- the Hare and the Hunting Dog
- the Toad and the Frog
- the Lion the Cat and the Mice
- the Fowler and the Woodpigeons
- The Tortoises
- the Angry Wasp and the Honey Bee
- the Camel Driver and the Snake
- Fall in the Garden of Eden
- A Monument for a Lion
Two Foxes and a Bunch of Grapes after Aesop
Early one morning, a fox spied a bunch of grapes hanging from a branch that arched quite high above his head. They would make a refreshing breakfast, he thought. He leapt at the grapes, over and over again, mustering all his strength, but failed to snag any of the plump fruit.
Another fox witnessed his efforts and decided she could do better. Instead of leaping directly for the fruit, she threw herself at the trunk of the tree and the base of the vine, trying to shake the grapes loose, but her reward was only a mouthful of dry twigs and leaves.
“These things aren’t for the likes of us,” she concluded. “They’re out of reach.” “Yes,” the other fox agreed. “I bet they’re not worth the effort either,” he added.
The two sat and gazed at the grapes, which now appeared to shimmer in the golden sunlight.
“And just because they’re out of reach doesn’t make them special,” the fox continued. “Definitely not,” the othe fox agreed.
© Richard Parkin, 2023
Early one morning, a fox spied a bunch of grapes hanging from a branch of vine that arched above his head. ‘What a refreshing breakfast they would make,’ he thought, and he leapt at the plump fruit. But—alas!—his jaws snapped shut on the flavourless air beneath. He tried again, over and over, mustering all his strength. It was no use.
Another fox witnessed his efforts and decided she could do better. Instead of leaping directly for the fruit, she threw herself at the trunk of the tree and the base of the vine, trying to shake the grapes loose, but her reward was only a mouthful of dry twigs and leaves.
“These things aren’t for the likes of us,” she concluded. “No,” agreed the other fox. “And just because they’re out of reach doesn’t make them special.”
The two foxes sat and gazed at the grapes, which now appeared to shimmer in the golden sunlight, while saliva pooled at the corner of their flaccid mouths.
© Richard Parkin 2023