The Fox and the Crab – Aesop’s Fables
Aesop’s Fables has a large number of stories and some of them such as the Red riding hood, the honest woodcutter and many more are well known across the world. The story of the “The Fox and the Crab” also has other names and is called as “the unhappy crab”. It is the story of a sad crab who is always grumbling and feeling bad about the place that it lives in.
Story:
Once upon a time, there was a crab who lived in the beach. He was not a happy crab. He felt bad that the sand was dirty and that that the sand was making him dirty. Not only that, he also felt bad that the sand used to get inside his shell and irritate him. He used to always feel bad.
One day the crab said, “I feel bad. I must leave this place. I will find a clean house to live in.”
The crab went out to the forest. The forest floor was filled with dead leaves.
The crab said, “I cannot live here. The forest is too dirty. I want a clean house to live in.”
The crab went out to the desert. The desert was filled with more sand.
The crab said, “I cannot live here. The desert is too dirty. I want a clean house to live in.”
The crab went out to the meadow. The meadow was filled with grass.
The crab said, “I can live here. The meadow is clean.”
Suddenly a fox saw the crab. The crab could not hide since there was no sea. The crab could not hide since there were no trees. The fox easily caught and ate the crab.
What is the moral of the story?
The moral of the story “The Fox and the Crab” is “Be content with your lot.” The alternative moral is “The grass always looks greener on the other side”
Other stories which you can read
| The Dog and the Hides |
| The Cock, The Dog and the Fox |
| The Farmer and the Snake |
| The Farmer and the Stork |
| The Cat and the Birds |
Questions on “The Fox and the Crab“
- Who are the main characters of the story?
- Why was the crab unhappy in the beach?
- Was the crab unhappy in the forest?
- Why was the crab unhappy in the desert?
- What happened to the crab in the end of the story?
- Explain is the moral of the story?
Answers:
- The main characters of the story are a Fox and a Crab
- He felt bad that the sand was dirty and that that the sand was making him dirty. Not only that, he also felt bad that the sand used to get inside his shell and irritate him. He used to always feel bad.
- The crab went out to the forest. The forest floor was filled with dead leaves. The crab said, “I cannot live here. The forest is too dirty. I want a clean house to live in.”
- The crab went out to the desert. The desert was filled with more sand. The crab said, “I cannot live here. The desert is too dirty. I want a clean house to live in.”
- The crab went to the meadow which was very green and clean and he was very happy. Suddenly a fox came and the crab could not hide since there was no sea. The crab could not hide since there were no trees or sand. The fox easily caught and ate the crab.
- The moral of the story “The Fox and the Crab” is “Be content with your lot.” The alternative moral is “The grass always looks greener on the other side”
The Fox and the Crab – PDF
Looking for the free downloadable PDF version of “The Fox and the Crab” short story in English? If so, you’ve come to the right place. You can click on the link below to download the free story in PDF version format.
