Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Fox and the Grapes

Go to the store. By a copy of Aesop's Fables. Open up to the very first story. There is a very good chance that the story will be "The Fox and the Grapes." This is probably the most famous of all the Aesop's Fables and has been told and retold in countless forms of media. Chances are you already know this story by heart. Nevertheless, I will provide it to you in its entirety. Enjoy!

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A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.

Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

“What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for.”

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

Moral: There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.

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Why did the fox do that? I mean really! What the heck is wrong with him?! We all knew that those grapes were probably just fine. How did he figure that they were sour without tasting them?

That's right. They were sour because he couldn't enjoy them. No grapes means bad grapes... or sour grapes. In fact, "sour grapes" is a term used by people who don't get what they want. This story has actually weaved its way into our culture, and the sad thing is... many people actually side with the fox!

WHY?!

I understand how annoying it is not getting something you want, but what's with the attempt to cloud your own reality in order to make up for it? I don't get why people do that. Just move on. Stop diluting yourselves.

The fox had his ego damaged by the fact that he could not get the grapes. So he decided in his mind that it probably wouldn't have been worth it anyways. Why is he deciding that? There are people out there who will purposefully filter their reality in order to deal with personal pain. To a degree, I know why they do it, but its a pattern that will repeat. It will eventually lead to a lack of understanding of the world around them. They are creating their own false reality to supersede an unfortunate one. My main beef with this is that it can render a person useless in the long run.

So how should you deal with the lost grapes? Move on. Don't worry about it. They were not meant for you. Another solution is to just try harder. I know, for a fact, that some foxes can climb trees if they actually care enough to get up there. The fox was just lazy.

If something is important to you, just keep at it. Don't just roll your eyes and pretend it never happened. It is your responsibility to drive out your own path in this world. That requires clarity. People who just cynically stand aside won't get anywhere. Go get those grapes, and if it turns out they really are sour, make lemon aid! ... With the grapes! ... Grape aid! (It worked a lot better in my head than when I wrote it down.)

Thank you for reading my blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Thank you, and I, once again, drew the crappy picture.