How the fox lost his dinner [short story]

Title

Language

English

Year

1941

Subject

Short stories, Philippine (English)

Philippine fiction (English)

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

[One day a fox was hiding in some bushes. He looked this way and that, hoping to see a nice fat hen which he could catch. All at once he saw a turkey and some ducks. Thus, The farmer ran quickly to drive the fox away. The Fox saw the farmer coming, so he ran away as fast as he could.]

Fulltext

134 THE YOUNG CITIZEN APRIL, 1941 HOW THE FOX LOST HIS DINNER IN SOME COUNTRIES foxes are quite common. A fox looks like a dog. He is very sly. He likes to eat chickens and ducks and geese and turkeys. One· .day a fox was hiding in some bushes. He looked this way and that, hoping to see a nice fat hen which he could catch. All at once he saw a turkey and some ducks. "Ah!" said Mr. Fox. "I am just in time. Here are some nice fat ducks and a turkey. They are so close together that I can catch them all, very easily, one after the other." So he went toward the ducks and the turkey, and called out to them in a very friendly manner. "Good morning, pretty ducks," said he. "Good morning, dear Mr. Turkey." The ducks and the turkey were very frightened. They said, "Oh, have you come to eat us,. Mr. Fox? Please do not eat us. Please let us go back safe to our home on the farm." Mr. Fox said, "No, I shall not let you go. I shall eat you· up, every one.'.' The ducks and the turkey cried, "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" "It is hard for us poor fowls to lose our lives in this way," said one of the ducks. "Please let us do one thing before we die, Mr. F!Jx," "Yes, please let us all have just one wish," said Mr. Turkey. "Afterwards we will all stand up before you in a row, so that you may choose the fattest and the best." "What is it that you all want?" asked Mr. Fox. The first duck replied, "We would like to have one hour in which to say our prayers before you eat us.'' _ "Please .do, Mr. Fox," begged all the ducks and the turkey. "'Well, that is fair," said the fox,,"and I am quite willing. Begin your prayers .now, and I will sit down beside you and wait for· you to finish.'' So the fox sat down. The ducks· and the turkey stood in a row and all began to talk very loudly. "Quack! Quack! Gobble! Gobble! Quack! Gobble!" they said. "Such a noise!" exclaimed Mr. Fox. "Can't you pray more quietly?" But the ducks and th~ turkey only called ou't louder," Quack! Quack! 'Q u a·c k ! Gobble! · Gobble! ·Gobble! Quack!" The farmer, who was working near by, heard the ducks and the turkey. "What is the matter with those ducks and the turkey?" the farmer thought. "I will see.'' ' So the farmer looked. around. He saw ·the ducks and the turkey standing in a row and the fox sitting near them. The farmer ran quickly to drive the fox away. Mr. Fox saw the farrner coming, so he ran away a.s fast as he could. "There goes my nice dinner!" said Mr. Fox. "How foolish I was not to eat it · at once." QUESTIONS I. What is a fox? 2. What does he like to eat? 3. Where was a fox hiding? 4. What did he see? 5. What did he say to the ducks and the turkey? {Please turn io page 150.) HOW THE FOX LOST (Continued from page 134) 6. Why were the ducks and the turkey frightened? 7. What. did the fox say THE YOUNG CITIZEN VACATION GAMES (Continued from page 145) approaches the other team with this dialogue: Team No. I: Here we to them? come. 8. What request did they f Te;m No. 2 : Where make? rom 9 D"d th f . ? No. I: Zamboanga. APRIL, 19.p VACATION CAMPING (Continued from page 144) trees, birds, stones, stars, and water creatures, besides having fun and learning to know one another better. BUSINESS IN VACATION (Contjnued from page 144) · 1 e ox agree No. 2: What's . your 10. What did the ducks trade? sects. and the turkey do them? No. 1 : Lemonade. I foun_d no. difficulty Why? No. 2 : How's it made? whatever m selling two or I I.. Did the farmer hear Then team No. I acts out three trayfuls each afterthem? noon. After a person tasted the movements of the trade some of the delightful can12. What did he do? selected. As soon as a mem- dy which my sister can 13. What kind of story is ·ber of team No. 2 guesses make, thaf individual althis? (A fable.) it correctly and announces ways wanted more. Some14. What is a fable? it, the members of the first times, too, I took orders for 15. Which was wiser, the team race for their goal, several kilos of a certain fox or the fowls? the other team trying to tag kind which was well liked: 16. Did you lik~ this them. When my sister and I story? All who are tagged' or returned home after vaca17. What. did you learn "caught" before reaching tion, we each had nearly a their home go.al join the hundred pesos. · from it? 18. Have you ever seen a duck? 19. Have you ever seen· a other team. Then team No. 2 selects a trllde, and the games proceeds as before. USING MY TIME (Continued from page 144) turkey? you about Grimm. activity. Of course I left a 20. Have you ever seen a 25. What else did Grimm generous allowance for unfox? Or a picture of a fox? write? (Many fairy stories looked-for activities. Each 21. What have you read and other stories which morning I made a daily or heard about a fox? have become famous.) schedule, and tacked it up 22. is the fox a wise ani- 26. Can you draw a pie- in the sala. I did my best ture to illustrate this story? to follow my schedule, and ma!? 27. What should be in the succeeded fairly well. Each 23. Do you think he was picture? (The ducks and night I wrote in my diary wise when he agreed to the turkey in a row making all the things I had done what the ducks and the a loud noise, and the fox during the day. At the end turkey asked? sitting nearby.) of vacation I wa·s astonished 24. This story was told 28. ·Have you ever read at the number of things I long ago by a man named any other fables?·(You will had accomplished, all on Grimm. Ask your· teacher 1 find some in other numbers I account of using my time or some other person to tell of THE YOUNG CITIZEN.) wisely.

pages

134, 150

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