Summary: Foxed by Those Stripes
The fox met the zebra at a waterhole in a jungle far away. They met each other on a
bright summer day.
The fox asked the zebra whether he had a black body with white stripes or whether
he had a white body with black stripes. When the fox tried to solve the puzzle
himself, he got confused.
The zebra creased his brow and began to think after listening to the question. The
zebra then replied to the fox. He said that it did not matter whether his stripes were
black or white and that the fox should not be worried about that as well. Regardless
of the colour of his stripes, he was the same animal beneath his stripes.
The fox is shrewd, cunning and makes his decisions on the basis of appearances. The
zebra on the other hand is wise and seems to be satisfied with how he is. He does
not draw conclusions on the basis of appearance and he also has self-respect. He
does not allow the fox to violate the sense of respect that every creature should
have. The zebra is also witty as he manages to give a clever reply to the fox.
The central message of this poem/fable reminds us that we must not judge a person
based on their physical appearance. We should value them for the kind of person
that they are. Appearances can be deceptive and we should not allow them to
condition our thinking. We should respect every individual for what they are and we
must not demean anyone/look down upon someone because of their appearance.
The poem also teaches us to love ourselves and to not let other people make you
feel bad about yourself, especially when they talk about how you look.
POEM FOXED BY THOSE STRIPES
Comprehension
A. 1. The fox met the zebra at a waterhole in a jungle far away. They met each other on a bright summer
day.
2. The fox asked the zebra whether he had a black body with white stripes or whether he had a white
body with black stripes.
3. When the fox tried to solve the puzzle himself, he got confused.
4. The zebra creased his brow and began to think after listening to the question.
5. The zebra in his reply to the fox said that it did not matter whether his stripes were black or white
and that the fox should not be worried about that as well. Regardless of the colour of his stripes,
he was the same animal beneath his stripes.
B. 1. a. The fox said this to the zebra.
b. The puzzle was whether the zebra had a black body with white stripes or a white body with
black stripes.
2. a. Yes, the zebra is quite content with the way he looks.
b. The colour of the stripes does not really matter to him because he thinks that the stripes are
just as they should be and are therefore alright.
C. 1. The fox is shrewd, cunning and makes his decisions on the basis of appearances. The zebra on the
other hand is wise and seems to be satisfied with how he is. He does not draw conclusions on the
basis of appearance and he also has self-respect. He does not allow the fox to violate the sense
of respect that every creature should have. The zebra is also witty as he manages to give a clever
reply to the fox.
2. The central message of this poem/fable reminds us that we must not judge a person based
on their physical appearance. We should value them for the kind of person that they are.
Appearances can be deceptive and we should not allow them to condition our thinking.
We should respect every individual for what they are and we must not demean anyone/
look down upon someone because of their appearance. The poem also teaches us to love
ourselves and to not let other people make you feel bad about yourself, especially when they
talk about how you look.
D. There are three tigers in the above picture. There is a mother tiger and two of her cubs which are
playing with her in the snow. Perhaps, it is inside a sanctuary; a naturally-occurring protected area
for the conservation of wildlife. They seem to enjoy each other’s company. They are sitting near a
tree trunk. The tigers are in a playful mood. One of the cubs is pouncing on the mother as the other
watches on. The mother is growling at the cub. You can see how close the family is and how much
they enjoy spending time with each other.
FOXED BY THOSE STRIPES POEM
A. Answer in brief.
What is the fox confused about?
Ans: The fox is confused about the appearance of Zebra for quite a while. Its body with the black and
white stripes has always made the fox wonder about the original body colour of the zebra. The fox
wanted to know whether the body of the zebra is white or black.
B. Answer in detail.
What do you understand about the zebra from its answer?
Ans: The zebra took time to answer the fox. He was wise and sensible. While he understood the fox’s
dilemma, he was clear that the fox was wasting his time wondering about the colour of the zebra
when he was happy about his appearance. He clearly stated to the fox that whatever might be his
outer appearance, he was the same inside. In short, he asked the fox to mind his own business and let
others be.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
After the zebra had refreshed himself with a cool drink,
He creased his brow and began to think.
a. Where was the zebra and whom did he meet here?
b. What was he thinking about?
c. Was he able to clear the confusion?
Ans: a. The zebra was at a waterhole and he met a fox.
b. He was thinking of an apt answer to the fox’s question.
c. He may not have been able to clear the fox’s confusion, because he told the fox not to be
too bothered about his appearance.
D. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
Write about an animal whose appearance has ‘foxed’ you.
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