Oban's Myths & Legends
The Fox and the Goat
Aesop fable retold by Oban
One hot sunny day, a thirsty fox was looking down into a deep well, and fell in.
"I wanted some water, but not this much" said the fox to himself, as he splashed around in the water.
"Now how am I going to get out of here" he said, looking up at the top of the well.
Just then a thirsty goat came to the well. He looked down and was surprised to see the fox in the water.
"What are you doing down there?" asked the goat.
"I came down to get some of this wonderful cool water" said the fox, pretending everything was alright.
"Come on down and try some. It's the best water you'll ever taste" he shouted up at the goat. 'And there isn't any more water for miles."
"I'm thirsty, and that water does look so good" thought the goat.
"OK. Look out, I'm coming down," the goat shouted to the fox as he jumped down into the well.
Just
as the goat started drinking, the fox said, "There's one small
problem. The top of the well is so high it's going to be hard getting
out of here. But don't worry I have a plan."
"If," he said to the goat "you put your front feet on the wall of the well, I'll run up your back and jump up to the top. Once I'm out I'll help you to get out too."
The goat did as he was told and the fox leapt onto his back, jumped up on to his horns, and then scrambled up out of the well.
"That was a really good plan" said the fox.
"See you later" he said, looking down at the goat.
"But, what about me?" cried the goat from the bottom of the well.
"If you had any brains you would never have gone down there until you had worked out how to get out." said the fox.
"Have you ever heard the expression, look before you leap?" laughed the fox as he ran away.
The End
What is the moral of this story?
Never trust a fox in trouble
Don't get your feet wet
Look before you leap
