The Fox And The Stork

by Aesop

　　The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the expenseof the Stork, at whose odd appearance he was always laughing.

　　"You must come and dine with me today," he said to the Stork,smiling to himself at the trick he was going to play. The Storkgladly accepted the invitation and arrived in good time and witha very good appetite.

　　For dinner the Fox served soup. But it was set out in a veryshallow dish, and all the Stork could do was to wet the very tipof his bill. Not a drop of soup could he get. But the Fox lappedit up easily, and, to increase the disappointment of the Stork,made a great show of enjoyment.

　　The hungry Stork was much displeased at the trick, but he was acalm, even-tempered fellow and saw no good in flying into a rage.Instead, not long afterward, he invited the Fox to dine with himin turn. The Fox arrived promptly at the time that had been set,and the Stork served a fish dinner that had a very appetizingsmell. But it was served in a tall jar with a very narrow neck.The Stork could easily get at the food with his long bill, butall the Fox could do was to lick the outside of the jar, andsniff at the delicious odor. And when the Fox lost his temper,the Stork said calmly:

　　Do not play tricks on your neighbors unless you can stand thesame treatment yourself.