The Fox and the Stork-Story

The Fox and the Stork/Tit for Tat

Once a fox and a stork were very good friends. They often went to visit each other.
One day, the fox invited the stork to dinner. The stork gladly accepted the invitation. While arranging the dinner, a wicked plan crossed the fox. He prepared a good soup for the guest but served this in a very flat shallow dish. It was convenient enough for the fox to lap up from such a dish but the stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it and could take not a drop of soup. So, after all her efforts, the stork had to leave the food in hungry belly.
However, with stork’s ultimate disappointment, the fox continued lapping up his own dish with heart’s content when he rose his head and said to the stork, “Hey friend, why aren’t you eating? Isn’t the soup to your liking?” The stork couldn’t tell anything but left the place with a heavy heart.
Few days later, the stork thought of teaching the fox a good lesson. She went to the fox to invite and said, “You must come and dine with me today”. The fox also didn’t refuse but accepted the invitation.
But the stork didn’t forget the dishonor shown to her by the fox. When the fox arrived, she served the dinner in a long-necked jar with a narrow mouth from which the stork could easily pick up food and enjoy. But the fox could not insert his snout into it. So all he could manage to do was to lap up the outside of the jar.
Now it is the turn of the stork. She with a clever smile uttered, “Hey friend, why aren’t you eating? Isn’t my cooking up to your liking?”
At this, the fox realized his fault, lowered his head in shame and left the place quickly.