A fox wants grapes that he cannot reach. His final description differs from the narrator’s earlier description. Listen for that disagreement instead of treating every statement as equally reliable.
This recording contains one fable and its Application commentary. It is not the full collection. The 1818 edition uses older English. Read the linked text when a word is unclear.
Audio and source text
Reader: Larry Wilson. Recording length: 2:05.
Read this fable in the 1818 source edition
Listen with a purpose
Listen once without the text. Read the source text. Listen again and complete the task. Use the player controls to pause or repeat.
Make two columns: the narrator’s description and the fox’s final claim. Add what the fox tries between these statements. During the second listen, mark the moment when his description changes.
Useful vocabulary for this topic
- vineyard
- a place where grapes grow
- trellis
- a frame that supports growing plants
- sour
- having a sharp taste rather than a sweet taste
Check your understanding
What stops the fox from getting the grapes?
Show the answer
They hang too high for him to reach.
How does the narrator first describe them?
Show the answer
The narrator calls them ripe and delicious.
What does the fox say when he gives up?
Show the answer
He calls the grapes green and sour.
Think about the story
The fox’s disappointment helps explain his excuse. It does not prove that his description is accurate. Check the difference between what a speaker wants to believe and what the story supports.
Your writing task
Write one sentence describing the obstacle and one describing the excuse. Add a third sentence that explains the contradiction.
Check your work: answer from the recording, support your interpretation, and keep guesses separate from facts.
Source and recording
Fable: Aesop; English edition: Fables of Aesop and Others, with Thomas Bewick’s designs (1818).
Reader: Larry Wilson. Recording: LibriVox.
LibriVox releases its recordings into the public domain, including for commercial reuse. Its published copyright statement explains the territorial scope.
LibriVox public-domain statement
The guide and exercises are original BookAud material. The source recording has not been changed.