“THE FOX AND THE GRAPESA hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for they were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away with an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking, "I thought those Grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour.”
Quote Analysis: Aesop's Fable "The Fox and the Grapes"
In this fable by Aesop, a hungry Fox spots some delicious-looking grapes out of reach and attempts to jump up to reach them. When he fails, he walks away pretending he wasn't interested in them anyway, claiming they must be sour. This classic story is a reminder that sometimes we justify our failures or shortcomings by convincing ourselves that we didn't really want what we couldn't attain. It speaks to the idea of sour grapes, where we dismiss something we desire but cannot have as undesirable anyways.
Modern Relevance
In this fable by Aesop, a fox tries in vain to reach grapes hanging from a high trellis and then dismisses them as sour when he can't access them. This story teaches us about the concept of sour grapes and how people often devalue something they desire but cannot attain. This concept is still relevant today in various aspects of life, such as relationships, career goals, and material possessions.
Aesop's Fable of The Fox and the Grapes
The fable of "The Fox and the Grapes" by Aesop tells the story of a hungry Fox who tries to reach some grapes hanging from a vine but gives up when he can't reach them, dismissing them as sour.
Example of Usage: - When someone makes excuses for not achieving their goals, they are behaving like the fox in Aesop's fable, claiming that the grapes are sour.
Reflection Questions:
After reading Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes," take a moment to reflect on the following questions:
- Have you ever experienced a situation where you couldn't reach a goal despite your best efforts? How did you handle it?
- How did the Fox's reaction to not being able to reach the grapes reflect on his character and attitude?
- Do you think the Fox's dismissal of the grapes as sour was a coping mechanism for his failure? How do you react to disappointments or setbacks in your own life?
- How can the lesson of this fable be applied to your own experiences and challenges?
Similar quotes
“Recall Aesop’s fable of the fox and the grapes. After trying in vain to reach the grapes, the fox gives up and wanders away, muttering, “They were probably sour anyway.” The fox’s change of heart is a perfect example of a common strategy we instinctively use to reduce dissonance. When we experience a conflict between our beliefs and our actions, we can’t rewind time and take back what we’ve already done, so we adjust our beliefs to bring them in line with our actions. If the story had gone differently, and the fox had managed to get the grapes, only to discover they were sour, he would have told himself that he liked sour grapes in order to avoid feeling that his effort had been a waste.”
“I verily believe all that is desirable on earth--wealth, reputation, love--will for ever to you be the ripe grapes on the high trellis: you'll look up at them; they will tantalize in you the lust of the eye; but they are out of reach: you have not the address to fetch a ladder, and you'll go away calling them sour.”
“Bewildered is the fox who lives to find that grapes beyond reach can be really sour.”
“People pretend not to like grapes when the vines are too high for them to reach.”
“Sometimes it was possible for me to believe he had practised an enchantment upon me, as foxes in this country may, for, here, a fox can masquerade as human and at the best of times the high cheekbones gave to his face the aspect of a mask.”