The Grapes are Sour

Improve Your Vocabulary through Stories

Once a clever fox on finding the jungle bereft of food, went out foraging into the village for sustenance. As he wandered through the fields, he stumbled upon a lofty vine that bore the most succulent grapes he had ever laid eyes upon. The fox by now was famished and parched, grew eager to devour the ripe fruit which would have quenched his thirst as well as satiated his hunger. However, upon leaping, he found the grapes to be exorbitantly high, well beyond his reach. He tried to climb the slender vine but his claws were not designed for a vertical grip. He even went a few yards away and then sprinted and leapt but still he could only brush the delicious fruit with his nose. Despite his best efforts, the grapes eluded him. Frustrated and disappointed, he took solace in convincing himself that the grapes were probably sour and unripe, and thus not worth his effort.

The grapes, they taunt me from up high,
Their sourness just not worth my try,
God knows, I don't care at all,
And strut away, proud and tall.

The fox then proceeded to trot away, his hunger still unsatiated.



1. bereft: lacking in or deprived of something

The people in coastal village were bereft of any hope of relief after the cyclone.


2. forage: search widely for food or provisions

The soldiers foraged for leftover food in the deserted town.


3. sustenance: means of support or sustenance

When he lost his job he started working as a manual labourer for sustenance.


4. lofty: very high, of imposing height

The city with lofty towers was once a village with small huts.


5. succulent: tender, juicy and tasty

The exterior of a coconut is hard but its interior is very succulent.


6. devour: eat hungrily or quickly

After returning from school the children eagerly devoured the noodles made for them


7. quench: satisfy one's thirst by drinking

Many people prefer soft drinks to plain water to quench their thirst.


8. exorbitant: unreasonably high

The commodities in present day malls are exorbitantly priced..


9. sprint: run very fast, run at full speed over a short distance.

The athlete was good at sprinting but could not compete in long distance runs as he lacked stamina.


10. elude: escape from or avoid

The thief has been eluding the police for over a year.


11. solace: comfort or consolation

Everyone in the company offered solace to the fired employees but none could help them financially.