Life Lessons From Aesop's Fable "the Fox and the Grapes"
Is there more than one moral in the story? Did Aesop misunderstand the fox? Is there only one way to interpret the fox? What and how can we benefit if we ask questions and consider things from other points.
Aesop’s Fable “The Fox and the Grapes”
The fable: One day a fox saw a beautiful bunch of grapes hanging off from a high branch of a tree. He jumped high to grab at the grapes. He made many attempts. He even tried running jumps and got closer to the grapes. But try as he might, he couldn’t pluck any grapes. The fox took a final look at the bunch of grapes and said, “ sour grapes.” The fox then stomped away in disgust.
Aesop’s Fables and Morals
As a child I loved listening to Aesop’s fables. They were short, which was very important to a child with little patience like me. But more importantly, they invited participation from the listener. I loved to guess at the moral or life lesson behind each fable. I would be so delighted if I got this correct. It was like winning a prize.
Attempts at the moral behind the fable
Like many children, my siblings and I made the following guesses:
- “If you don’t succeed, try and try again.”
- “ If you don’t succeed, try another method.”
- “If you don’t succeed, console yourself.” My parents conceded that our guesses were good. They were good life lessons but none was correct. Life Lessons: Have an open mind You can have many ideas but sometimes the best idea comes from the experience of another person.
The moral from the Fox and the Grapes.
The moral: Many pretend to despise or belittle what they cannot achieve. This moral was not easy to understand. My parents had to break it down for us. They explained that the grapes were actually sweet. The fox only said that the grapes were sour because he could not get them. Life lessons: When we were young, my parents would often say to us, “Don’t be sour grapes.” This is their way of reminding us that we should be honest with ourselves. We need to own up to the fact that others got something that we would like to have. We should not belittle their achievements. Instead, we should be happy for them.
Why the grapes were hanging from a high branch
We were also told that the sweet grapes were hanging from a high branch. If the grapes were hanging off a low branch, they would either have been eaten by others or they were sour grapes. Life lessons: We have to be careful when going for low hanging fruits. The competition for them is great. So while success may appear easy, we need to ask ourselves: If it is so easy or so good, why hasn’t someone else thought of it too?
Must the grapes hanging off the high branch be sweet
Unless we actually eat the grapes. We would not know. Perhaps, after the fox left, Aesop climbed the tree and tasted the grapes. That was how he knew that the grapes were sweet. Life lessons: Something that is far out of reach may not necessarily be better than something within our reach. Although it is good to aim high, we must not overlook that which is near to us. We may spend a lot of time and effort to get something only to find out that it is not what we want after all.
Did Aesop misunderstand the fox?
When I was young I loved sweets and fruits that were sweet. But in my teens, I started to like the taste of sour fruits. I began to like sour oranges, sour apples and sour pineapples. The soursop is one of my favourite fruits. I thought to myself: What if the fox was like me? What if the fox actually liked grapes that were sour? If that is the case, then the fox was praising the grapes when he said that they were sour. Aesop would not have understood because like many others he liked sweet grapes. Life lessons: Do not assume that everyone has the same likes and dislikes as you do. If you are not sure, do ask them. Respect that everyone has their own preferences. Be more thoughtful of others especially those who do not fit the standard norm.
My Favorite Aesop’s Fable
“The Fox and the Grapes” is my favourite Aesop’s fable. A reason could be because I was not able to guess the moral. Another could be because it contains so many life lessons. Yet another could be because I felt sorry for the fox. Life lessons: Many times we appreciate and treasure something that is difficult to attain. Because we have spent a lot of time and care, we have grown to love it. Everything is lovable. We just need to spend time together.
Your own special grapes
The important thing is to enjoy the grapes from your own grapevine. My grapevine is untidy and grows all over the place. It needs some care but only very little. There are many bunches of grapes growing from different heights. Many of the grapes are small, tiny and slightly sour. I love my grapevine and my grapes. Go and plant your own grapevine and enjoy your grapes.