The Fox and the Grapes

malice fox

FOX, very hungry, chanced to come into a vineyard, where hung branches of charming ripe grapes, but nailed up to trellis so high, that he leaped till he quite tired himself without being able to reach one of them. At last, “Let who will take them,” says he, “they are but green and sour, so I’ll even let them alone.”

THE APPLICATION. This Fable is a good reprimand to a parcel of vain coxcombs in the world, who, because they would never be thought to be disappointed in any of their pursuits pretend a dislike to everything which they cannot obtain.

There is a strange propensity in mankind to this temper, and there are numbers of grumbling malcontents in every different faculty and sect in life. The discarded statesman, considering the corruption of the times, would not have any hand in the administrator of affairs for all the world. The country squire damns a court life, and would not go cringing and creeping to a drawing-room for the best place the king has in his disposal. A young fellow being asked how he liked a celebrated beauty, by whom all the world knew he was despised, answered, “she had a stinking breath.” How insufferable is the pride of this poor creature man who would stoop to the basest, vilest actions, rather than be thought not able to do anything. For what is more base and vile than lying? And when we do, we lie more notoriously when we disparage and find fault with a thing, for no other reason but because it is out of our power.