The Swollen Fox by Esopo (1668)
The Swollen Fox, by Esopo: A fox, swollen with pride after a successful hunt, returns home to find his family has been replaced by a group of mice. The fox, enraged and humiliated, sets out to reclaim his home and family.
By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Fiction · 143 words
First lines
A hungry Fox found in a hollow tree a quantity of bread and meat, which some shepherds had placed there against their return. Delighted with his find he slipped in through the narrow aperture and greedily devoured it all. But when he tried to get out again he found himself so swollen after his big meal that he could not squeeze through the hole, and fell to whining and groaning over his misfortune. Another Fox, happening to pass that way, came and asked him what the matter was; and, on learning the state of the case, said, "Well, my friend, I see nothing for it but for you to stay where you are till you shrink to your former size; you'll get out then easily enough. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Swollen Fox is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1668 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Fiction
- Length: 143 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Swollen Fox by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
- The Cat And The Cock by Esopo
- The Fox And The Monkey by Esopo
- The Mule by Esopo
- The Dog And The Sow by Esopo
- The Fox And The Bramble by Esopo
- The Dogs And The Hides by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — The story is a fable by Aesop, meaning it is a short story usually with animals as characters, conveying a moral.
- Children's Literature — Given that Aesop's fables are often used as educational tools for children, it is also likely to be classified as children's literature.
- Fiction — Fables, by definition, are works of fiction as they are invented stories.
Tags
fable · animal · morality · deception · greed · cunning · wisdom · nature · storytelling · allegory · lesson · character