The Fox and the Goat

Once upon a time, on a bright summer afternoon, a clever fox went wandering through a peaceful forest. The sun shone high above, warming the trees, the flowers, and the winding forest paths. After walking for a long, long time, the fox became terribly thirsty. "My throat feels so dry," he sighed, and he searched behind the bushes, peeked beneath the shady trees, and sniffed at the fresh air.

Then, all at once, his eyes sparkled. "Aha, there it is!" he cried out, for there, hidden among the tall grass, stood a deep old well of grey stone. Without thinking twice, the thirsty fox jumped straight into the well. Splash! The water was cool and clear and wonderfully refreshing, and he drank and drank until his tummy felt completely full. "Ahhh, that was lovely," he sighed.

But when he looked up, his smile disappeared. The walls of the well were steep and slippery, rising far above his head, with no easy way out at all. He tried to climb, and he slipped. He tried again, and slipped again, tumbling back down into the cold water. "Oh no, I'm trapped," the fox gasped, and then he shouted as loudly as he could, "Help! Can somebody help me?"

The hours passed slowly, and the warm afternoon turned into a cool evening. Soon the stars came out above the trees, and the lonely fox curled up inside the damp well. "I may never get out," he whispered sadly. The next morning, the fox heard gentle footsteps coming closer... clip, clop, clip, clop. A friendly goat was walking through the forest, and when she heard someone calling for help, she peeked carefully over the edge of the well.

"Hello, Mr. Fox, what are you doing down there? Can I help you?" she called down. The fox looked up at her, and his clever mind began working very quickly.

Instead of telling the truth, the fox put on his biggest smile. "My dear Goat, this is the most delicious water in the whole forest, cool and fresh... and sweeter than anything I have ever tasted. You should come down and taste it too," he said sweetly. The goat's eyes grew wide. "Really? That sounds wonderful," she giggled, and without stopping to think, she jumped happily into the well and drank until her thirst was gone.

Then she looked around at the tall, slippery walls, and her happy face slowly changed. "Oh dear... how will we ever get out of here?" she asked. The fox smiled quietly to himself. "I have an idea," he said. "You stand up on your strong hind legs, and I'll climb onto your back, jump out of the well, and then I'll help pull you out."

The kind-hearted goat trusted him completely, and she stood as tall as she could. The fox scrambled onto her back, balanced on her horns, and leaped out into the morning sunshine. At last, he was free. The goat looked up happily. "Mr. Fox, I'm ready, please help me out now!" she called. But the fox simply brushed the dust from his tail, turned around. and started walking away.

"Wait," the goat cried out, "you promised to help me!" The fox looked back for just a moment. "My friend, if you had stopped to think before jumping into the well... you would have noticed there was no safe way to climb back out."

And with that, the fox slipped away between the trees and vanished into the forest, leaving the poor goat all alone at the bottom of the well. Children, it is a wonderful thing to be kind, and a wonderful thing to trust others. But it is just as important to think carefully before making a big decision. Before you follow someone, ask your questions, and before you leap, look where you are going.

Wise choices today can save you from difficult problems tomorrow. Soon a gentle breeze came rustling through the trees, and the birds sang softly, and the quiet forest grew peaceful once again...