Today we’re sharing a classic Aesop’s Fable – The Rooster, the Dog and the Fox. It’s a story about wisdom, courage and friendship, suitable for adults and children to read together. Through this story, we can learn how to stay calm in the face of danger and solve problems with wisdom.
Background of the story: Daily life in the forest
In a quiet forest, there lived a hard-working rooster, a strong dog and a cunning fox. The rooster gets up early every morning and wakes up the animals in the forest with his song. The dog, on the other hand, used to be a sleepy guy, but since listening to the rooster’s advice, he decided to change himself and get up early every day to exercise and become stronger and stronger.
The dog’s strength made all the bad guys in the forest afraid, such as the wolf and the fox did not dare to do evil easily. The rooster also felt safer because he knew that he had big brother Dog to protect him. However, the fox did not die. He kept coveting the rooster, always thinking that one day he would seize the opportunity to eat him.
The cunning fox makes his move
The fox was very clever, but he was also very conceited. He thought he would find a way to eat the rooster. So the fox began to secretly follow the rooster and the dog, observing their daily activities to see if there was any chance to separate them.
One day, the rooster realized that the fox had been secretly stalking them and was very nervous. He immediately went to the dog to discuss a plan: “Brother Dog, the fox has been following me for the past few days, and several times I thought it was going to pounce on me and eat me. Can you help me think of a way?”
The dog replied unhurriedly, “Don’t worry, I will protect you.”
The rooster had a bright idea and said, “I have an idea! Tomorrow you hide by the creek, and I’ll pretend to go there alone to collect grass seeds and lure the fox there. When the time comes, you will suddenly appear and teach it a lesson.”
The dog was a little worried, “That’s too dangerous, isn’t it? What if the fox really eats you on the way?”
The rooster said confidently, “Don’t worry, I have my own plan.”
The rooster’s plan: to lure the fox into a trap
The next day, the rooster woke up later than usual on purpose. The animals in the forest found it strange and asked him if he was sick and why he didn’t wake everyone up on time.
The rooster purposely said aloud, “Today I have to go alone to a very far creek to collect grass seeds, and I need to walk a long way, so I slept a little longer.” This was just heard by the fox who was hiding in the grass. The fox thought to himself, “Haha, here’s your chance! I’m surprised the rooster didn’t wake up the dog, which means the dog is still sleeping. I will catch it this time!”
The fox jumped up and down with excitement at the thought of eating the flavorful chicken meat right away. It quietly followed the rooster, ready to strike deep in the forest.
Along the way, the rooster pretended to be unconcerned, singing as he walked, as if he was completely unaware that a vicious fox was approaching behind him. When they passed the biggest tree in the forest, the fox suddenly jumped out from behind it with a hideous expression and tried to grab the rooster directly.
However, to the fox’s surprise, the rooster did not panic, but greeted him calmly: “Good morning, Brother Fox! Why are you out for a walk so early today?”
The fox froze. It had thought that the rooster would be trembling with fear, but it did not expect the other party to be so calm. The fox began to wonder: was there some kind of trap ambushed nearby? Or was the dog nearby?
Despite the doubts in his heart, the fox still pretended to be calm and said with a smile, “Yes, yes, where are we going so early in the morning? Let’s go together, okay?”
“Yes!” The rooster agreed readily, “I was looking for someone to keep me company! Big Brother Dog slept in again today and hasn’t gotten up yet!”
Hearing this, the fox was even more convinced that the dog wasn’t there, so he let his guard down and walked side by side with the rooster towards the creek.
The fox falls into a trap
When they reached the creek, the surroundings were empty. The fox finally couldn’t hold back his inner greed and pounced on the rooster, grabbing his wings and saying viciously, “Cut the crap, I’ve been putting up with this for a long time! The chicken meat smells too good!”
However, instead of struggling, the rooster laughed out loud, “Fox, do you think you’re smart? In fact, you’re already dead in the water!”
“Brother Dog!” The rooster shouted at the fox’s back.
The fox sneered, “Don’t waste your efforts, that lazy dog must still be dreaming under the blanket!”
Just then, a low, strong voice came from behind the fox, “Is that so?” The fox was instantly scared out of his wits and his legs went weak. It turned around and saw that the dog was standing not far away, staring at it with his eyes.
The fox tried to run away, but it was too late. The dog rushed forward and quickly pressed the fox to the ground and stepped on its feet. Only then did the fox realize that he had fallen into the rooster’s trap and had become the dog’s prey.
Inspiration: The Power of Calmness and Wisdom
This story tells us that when facing danger, we should not panic, but stay calm and use our wisdom to find a solution. Just like the rooster, although he knew he couldn’t beat the fox, he didn’t panic but used the help of the dog to devise a perfect plan, which finally succeeded in solving the crisis.
At the same time, the story also emphasizes the importance of teamwork. Without the support of the dog, the rooster might not have been able to defeat the fox alone. Therefore, whether in life or at work, we should cherish our friends around us, learn to help each other and tackle challenges together.
Suggestions for parents and children
For children, this story can inspire them not to give up easily when they encounter difficulties and to believe in their own wisdom and ability. For parents, the story can teach their children how to stay calm in emergency situations and learn to ask for help.
In addition, children’s understanding of the story can be deepened by discussing the following questions:
- What would you do if you were the rooster?
- Why was the fox tricked by the rooster?
- What was the most impressive part of the story for you?
We hope this interesting story will benefit both you and your children!
