One summer day a fox was trotting through the woods. He stopped to wipe his forehead.
"Phew!" he thought. "It's quite hot today. I'm getting really thirsty."
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Just then the fox spotted a grapevine. It was wrapped around the trunk and branches of a tree. Hanging from a high branch was a bunch of sweet grapes.
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The fox loved all fruits, but sweet grapes were his favorite. And they were hanging right above his head!
"Mmm." The fox licked his lips. "Those sweet grapes look quite juicy. I will get some!"
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The thirsty fox leaped up, ready to bite into those grapes. But the branch was much higher than he thought. His jaws snapped shut on nothing but air. The poor fox fell back down and tumbled on the ground.
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"Hmph!" The fox got up and dusted off his fur. "That's okay. I'll just try again!"
The fox backed away from the tree to take a running leap. This time he jumped higher, but—
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"Oof!" He tumbled onto the ground again.
"Grr!" The fox gritted his teeth. "I must reach that branch!"
He ran faster. He leaped higher. He tried again and again to get the grapes. But still he could not reach them.
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"Hmm." The fox scratched his head and stared at the fruit. "I really want those grapes. What can I do?"
An owl was watching the fox from a nearby tree. So was a young gray squirrel.
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"Too bad, Fox," the owl called. "It looks like those sweet grapes are out of your reach."
The squirrel nodded. "You'll never be able to get them, Fox. You can't climb like me. And you can't fly like Owl."
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The fox flushed. "How embarrassing!" he thought.
He pretended to stare harder at the grapes above his head.
"Oh!" The fox laughed as he tapped himself lightly on the head.
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"Silly me! I just realized something. Those aren't sweet grapes—they're sour ones. I dislike sour grapes. So, I won't waste one more minute of my time. Good-bye!"
With a wave, the thirsty fox ran off.
The young squirrel scratched his head.
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"Owl, why did the fox call them sour grapes?" the squirrel asked. "They're not sour. They're sweet—probably the sweetest grapes in the whole woods."
The owl sighed. "It's simple, Squirrel. We often pretend to dislike the things that we can't have."