The Wild Boar and the Fox

A Wild Boar was sharpening his sharp teeth busily against the stump of a tree when a Fox happened by. Now the Fox was always looking for a chance to make fun of his neighbors.

So he made a great show of looking anxiously about, as if in fear of some hidden enemy. But the Boar kept right on with his work.

“Why are you doing that?” asked the Fox at last with a grin. “There isn’t any danger that I can see.”

“True enough,” replied the Boar, “but when danger does come, there will not be time for such work as this.

My weapons will have to be ready for use then, or I shall suffer for it.”

Moral of the story

Be prepared: Getting ready for challenges is the best way to avoid problems.
Plan ahead: It’s important to be ready for difficulties that might come your way.


Questions for the children

  1. Why do you think the Boar was sharpening his tusks?
  2. Can you think of a time when being prepared helped you in a situation?

Post Note: This story is based on Aesop’s fable, written around 600 BC. In this retelling, we’ve used simpler words to make the story easier for young readers to understand.

Author

  • Aesop

    Aesop (circa 620–564 BC) was an Ancient Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop’s Fables. Although his existence remains uncertain and (if they ever existed) no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages.

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