The Fox and the Goat by Jean de La Fontaine

Name: The Fox and the Goat
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

A fox and a bearded, horned goat, who can see no farther than his nose, travel together until thirst leads them to the bottom of a well. After they have drunk, the fox urges the goat to place his feet against the wall and hold his horns upright so that the fox can climb up his back and pull him out afterward. The goat praises the fox’s intelligence and agrees. Renard escapes from the well but leaves the goat behind, telling him that if he had possessed sense equal to his beard, he would have considered how to get out before climbing down. The fox departs, saying that affairs of state prevent him from waiting, and the tale advises all travellers to consider the end before acting.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Moral Literature, Allegory · 384 words

First lines

A fox once journey'd, and for company / A certain bearded, horned goat had he; / Which goat no further than his nose could see. / The fox was deeply versed in trickery. / These travellers did thirst compel / To seek the bottom of a well. / There, having drunk enough for two, / Says fox, 'My friend, what shall we do? / 'Tis time that we were thinking / Of something else than drinking. / Raise you your feet upon the wall, / And stick your horns up straight and tall; / Then up your back I'll climb with ease, / And draw you after, if you please. ' / 'Yes, by my beard,' the other said, / ''Tis just the thing. I like a head / Well stock'd with sense, like thine. / Had it been left to mine, / I do confess, / I never should have thought of this. ' / So Renard clamber'd out, / And, leaving there the goat, / Discharged his obligations / By preaching thus on patience: -- / 'Had Heaven put sense thy head within, / To match the beard upon thy chin, / Thou wouldst have thought a bit, / Before descending such a pit. / I'm out of it; good bye: / With prudent effort try / Yourself to extricate. / For me, affairs of state / Permit me not to wait.'

Open reader

What this Textopian page supports

The Fox and the Goat is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, 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: Jean de La Fontaine
Date: 1668 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Moral Literature, Allegory, Animal Fiction, Didactic Poetry
Length: 384 words
Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for The Fox and the Goat by Jean de La Fontaine
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Similar titles

Genres

Fable — A short animal tale in which a cunning fox deceives an imprudent goat, ending with an explicit moral: one should consider the consequences before acting.
Moral Literature — The work is structured to teach practical wisdom, condemning thoughtlessness and urging foresight through its final maxim.
Allegory — The animals embody recognizable human traits: the fox represents selfish cunning, while the goat represents gullibility and poor judgment.
Animal Fiction — Its principal characters are talking animals whose dialogue and actions drive the plot while reflecting human behavior.