The Fox and the Thrush – A Russian Folk Tale about Cleverness and Resourcefulness
The folk tale "The Fox and the Thrush" tells the story of a clever fox who tried to deceive the thrush but faced a clever counterattack. A story about resourcefulness, attentiveness, and fairness.
Description: The full text of the Russian folk tale about the fox who tried to deceive the thrush. An exciting story that teaches resourcefulness and attentiveness.
Once upon a time, there lived a fox, sly and cunning. She was always looking for ways to get food by tricking others. One day, she saw a thrush sitting on a tree branch, cheerfully chirping away.
– Hello, thrush! – the fox called sweetly. – How beautiful you are, and your feathers are so bright! And the way you sing – simply marvelous. Let’s be friends, come closer, I want to talk to you.
But the thrush knew the fox was a trickster and replied:
– Alright, I’ll come down, but only if you lie on the ground and close your eyes. Then I’ll know you don’t want to harm me.
The fox decided to pretend. She lay down on the grass, closed her eyes, and said:
– See, I trust you. Now you can safely come down.
But the thrush was clever. He loudly called out:
– Hunters, come here quickly! The fox is lying under the tree!
The fox got scared, jumped up, and ran away. The thrush laughed and flew back to the branch. But the sly fox didn’t give up. A few days later, she returned to the same tree and began flattering the thrush again:
– Dear thrush, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to see you up close. You are so beautiful! Come down to me, I won’t scare you again.
The thrush thought for a moment and then said:
– Alright, but first show me your paw, so I can see that you’re hiding nothing.
The fox raised her paw, and the thrush cried out:
– People, hurry here! The fox is here!
The fox got scared again and ran off. But her troubles were not over. The thrush decided to get revenge. He flew over the field where the farmers were working and called out:
– Good people, here’s the fox! She’s scaring everyone!
The farmers raised an alarm, grabbed forks, and chased the sly fox. The fox barely managed to escape into the forest, completely frightened.
From that day on, the fox never tried to sneak up on the thrush again, and the thrush became known in the forest for his cleverness and wit.
Moral: This story teaches us that trickery doesn’t always win. Intelligence and resourcefulness can outsmart any cunning plan.
Questions for children:
- Why did the fox want to befriend the thrush?
- What tricks did the fox use to deceive the thrush?
- What lesson does this story teach us?
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