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. “Yes,” the other fox agreed. “They’re out of our reach.”

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.”

© Richard Parkin 2023