Here is a short English story with the moral lesson Look before you leap. The story is for 1st year students. The story is about the fox and the goat. The fox was very cunning and the goat was foolish who jumped into the well without thinking.

Look before you leap story

We find many daily life examples where we don’t care to think before taking a decision. We foolishly believe others and get into trouble. We face hard times due to our lack of planning and hasty decisions. Sometimes, these hurried acts can lead us to death. The following story also gives us a moral lesson that we should think before we act.

The Fox and the Goat full story

Once, a fox was feeling thirsty. He was wandering in search of water. He reached a well and looked into it. There was some water at the bottom of the well. The fox tried to reach the water but could not do so.

In another attempt to reach the water, he slipped and fell into the well. The well was too deep for Him to come out. He was in trouble. He tried hard but could not come out.

A goat happened to pass that way. He was thirsty too. He passed by the well and looked into it. He was the fox there. He asked the fox how he reached there. The fox said, “I came here to drink water. It is very pleasant down here. I am enjoying the cool water. I am swimming here. Come on. Let us have a bath together.”

Instead of taking careful examination of the situation. The goat at once jumped into the well. She did not care to analyze the depth of the well and the condition of the fox. The fox was cunning and wicked. he jumped on the back of the goat and then jumped out. He was out of the well. 

The goat asked him why he jumped out. He said, “You are too simple to understand. I was unable to come out of the well without support. God sent a foolish goat as my support. Now I am leaving to enjoy life.

The fox went away leaving the goat in the well. The goat now realized his folly. There was no use of crying over spilled milk.

Moral Lesson: Look before you leap

Read the following related stories:

1. A Friend in Need is a Friend indeed

2. Kindness never goes unrewarded

3. Where there is a will there is a way story

4. Honesty is the Best Policy Story

5. Slow and Steady wins the Race Story

6. All moral stories

You can also download these stories as notes for 1st year students as an E-book. Download PDF Stories 1st year Notes.