The Fox and the Goat

Part One · Down the Well

On a hot afternoon, the fox was terribly thirsty. He leaned over an old stone well and slipped.

Splash! He landed in the water, up to his belly. The sides of the well were smooth and slippery.

He tried to climb the slippery wall, but kept slipping. He tried again and again, but nothing worked.

Presently, a thirsty goat wandered by the well. He leaned over the edge and looked down.

"How is the water down there?" asked the goat. "Is it fresh and cool?"

"Delicious!" said the fox. "It is the sweetest water anywhere. Come down and taste it."

The goat did not stop to think. He was so thirsty that he jumped right in.

He drank and drank. Then he looked up at the enormous stone walls. "How will we ever get out?" he asked.

The fox pretended to think carefully. "I have an idea," he said. "Stand on your back legs, and lean against the wall."

"I will climb up your back and out. Then I will pull you up."

The goat did as he was told. The fox climbed up the goat's back. He stepped on the horns and hopped out.

The fox sat on the edge and brushed his tail. Then he got up to go.

"Hey!" called the goat. "You promised you would help me out of here!"

The fox looked down. "My dear friend," he said, "think carefully before you jump."

Then he trotted off. Soon a farmer's boy came to the well. He heard the goat bleating and lowered a rope.