The sun set on the town theatre. The actors made their way out of the building after a long day’s work. Like every other day the Fox watched from the bushes next to the road counting the heads of the people as they vacated the theatre. Once his count reached ten, he knew it was safe to sneak into the building. Following his routine the Fox snuck in the back door, jogged across the stage, and tiptoed through the store-room towards the kitchen. Upon entering the store-room the Fox confidently passed by an actor’s mask, the very mask that he once mistook for a theatre guard. The Fox, feeling quite arrogant for outsmarting the theatre staff, got greedy and began to eat the performers’ lunches that were prepared for the following day. Perplexed, the actors decided something must be done to determine what was happening to their meals. An eleventh member was added to the staff to observe the place through the night. Sure enough on the first night the eleventh man observed the Fox follow the same routine. Being a clever person, the eleventh man did nothing but watch the Fox for three nights to learn his pattern. On the fourth night the man took position in the store-room behind the very mask that the Fox so confidently trotted by each night. As the Fox entered he gave the mask a smirk only to see the eleventh man’s eyes blink back at him from behind the mask. Horrified, the Fox turned and ran the same way he entered every day except on this night a trap awaited him at the door. The next day the staff gathered around to decide what to do with the thief.
“How shall justice be served?” Inquired one of the actors.
“Well it is only fair that we make up for the meals we have lost, this Fox certainly seems to have fattened up.” Said the theatre’s director.
So without hesitation the members cooked up the Fox and were able to eat his leftovers for an entire week. They all agreed that the Fox tasted better on the last day even after being refrigerated for a week because after all, revenge is a dish best served cold.
Predictability leads to vulnerability.
Author's Note:
The Fox And The Mask
A Fox had by some means got into the store-room of a theatre. Suddenly he observed a face glaring down on him, and began to be very frightened; but looking more closely he found it was only a Mask, such as actors use to put over their face. “Ah,” said the Fox, “you look very fine; it is a pity you have not got any brains.”
Outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth.
Bibliography
"The Fox And The Mask" from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source
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