Once, there was a fox who lived in the deepest part of the forest. One fine morning, when the fox was roaming around the forest, he saw a huge, thick and long snake enjoying the sun. His long body stretched from one corner of the path to the other. The fox was very impressed by the big size of the snake. He thought, ‘It’s such a large snake. If I try to imitate him, I will surely become as long and as mighty as the snake. I must try this at once.’ So, the fox lay down on the path by the snake’s side and started stretching his body. He tried hard but his bones and muscles ached; yet, he did not grow long enough. At last, he stretched so hard that many of his bones made a crackling sound and broke at once. The poor fox did not know that one should not compare oneself with others who are stronger or larger than oneself.
The Fox and the Snake
