The Fox and the Stork

Have you ever wondered why the Fox and the Stork are foes rather than friends? Let me
tell you the origin of their enmity.
Way back in time, the Fox and the Stork liked to visit each other and seemed to be very
good friends. One winter evening, the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing
before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. The Fox does not have a very good sense of
humor, as you will see. The Fox could easily lap soup up from a shallow dish, but the Stork
could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began. The
Fox thought his prank was very amusing, so he said, I am sorry that the soup is not to your
liking.
The Stork was infuriated, but held her temper in check. Please do not apologize, she
said. She added, I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon. They
checked their calendars and agreed to meet in about a month.
On that day, the Fox visited the Stork, but when they were seated at the table, he was
flabbergasted to see that their dinner, a delicious-smelling soup, was served in a very longnecked jar with a narrow mouth. The Fox could not insert his snout into this container, so all he
could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.
I will not apologize for the dinner, thought the Stork, as the Fox sat there fuming.
Ever since then, the Fox and the Stork have not spoken to each other.