41 THE CAT AND THE FOX

One day a cat met a fox in the woods.

They were looking for food.

The cat wanted a fat mouse.

The fox wanted a fat rabbit.

They had looked and looked.

But all the fat rabbits and all the fat mice were hiding.

The fox was very cross.

When he wanted a rabbit, he wanted it!

The cat was not cross at all.

When she wanted a mouse, she could wait for it.

She said, “Good morning, Mr. Fox.

I am glad to see you.

How are you getting on? ”

The fox looked at the cat and laughed.

“You foolish little cat! ”he said.

“I can always get along all right.

I know so many tricks.

How many tricks do you know? ”

“I know just one trick, ”said the cat.

“Ha, ha! ”laughed the fox.

“Just one little trick! What is that? ”

“I can jump up into a tree, ”said the cat.

“When the dogs come—Jump! I am safe! ”

“Ha, ha! ”laughed the fox.

“Just one little trick!

I know many tricks. They are all better than your trick, too.

Let me tell you some of them.

Then the dogs will never catch you.”

“All right! ”said the cat.

Just then they heard a great noise.

It was a hunter on his horse.

His dogs were running and barking.

Jump! The cat was safe in a tree!

But the dogs got Mr. Fox!

“I am just a foolish little cat, ”said the cat.

“I know only one trick.

But one trick is sometimes better than many.”

(Retold from a Fable by Æsop)

Word list

fox: a small kind of wild dog that is usually red or gray

cross: mad, angry

foolish: stupid

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What were the cat and the fox looking for in the woods?

2) Why was the fox cross?

3) What are two other words that mean the same as cross?

4) How did the cat feel about being unable to find a mouse?

5) Why did the fox think he would always be okay?

6) What one trick did the cat know?

7) If you were the fox, how would you get away from the dogs?

B) Opposites—Find the opposites to these words in the story.

1) thin: _ _ _

2) happy: _ _ _ _ _

3) smart: _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4) in danger: _ _ _ _

5) a few: _ _ _ _

C) True or False? Read these sentences carefully, write true or false for each one.

1) _____ The cat and the fox were both very angry that they didn't catch anything.

2) _____ The cat was caught by the dogs.

3) _____ The fox knew many tricks.

4) _____ The fox knew how to climb trees.

5) _____ It is always better to know many tricks than to know just one trick.