The Fox and the Stork

The Fox invited the Stork over for dinner.

“Just in time, the soup is ready!” said the Fox as the Stork came.

“That smells delicious!” responded the Stork. She had been in disbelief about the invitation, as the Fox had a reputation of being a selfish glutton, but she put those thoughts behind when she smelled the food.

“Sit at the table, food is coming!” said the Fox.

The Fox brought the steaming pan, and the approaching source of the delicious smell made the Stork’s mouth water. But when the Fox started serving the soup, the Stork was in for a surprise: the soup was poured in flat plates so shallow that she could not get a single drop up her long beak. So she just sat there looking at her plate while Fox was licking the last drops from hers.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like it?” the Fox pretended to be perplexed.

“Forgive me, I just lost my apetite,” responded the Stork.

“So you won’t mind if I finish your plate?” asked the glutton, already reaching for it with her eyes wide open.

“Not at all,” said the Stork, playing along, and already thinking of a way to get back at Fox.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” said the Stork when she was leaving. “Forgive me for losing my apetite, but at least I did enjoy the smell of that dinner very much! Please let me return the favor and invite you over for dinner next time.”

“Of course!” replied the Fox.

Next time, at the Stork’s place, it was the Fox that was greeted with a smell of delicious soup. “This smells wonderful!”, said she, salivating. “I can’t wait to try it, I’m so hungry!”

“Please take a seat at the table, I will be right over, it’s ready,” said the Stork.

The Stork brought the food served in tall bottles with narrow openings. She served Fox, took her own bottle, put her long beak into it, and started drinking. But Fox could not get her mouth through the narrow opening.

“What’s the matter?” asked the Stork “Why are you not eating?”

“I suddenly lost my apetite,” responded the Fox.

The End