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Read the fable The Fox and the Stork by Aesop to complete the activity.

At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it and left the meal as hungry as when she began. "I am sorry," said the Fox, "the soup is not to your liking."
"Pray do not apologize," said the Stork. "I hope you will return this visit and come and dine with me soon." So a day was appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the Fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.

Write a paragraph identifying and explaining the theme present in this passage and how it relates to any universal themes.

The primary theme present in this fable is the concept of reciprocity or "what goes around comes around". The Fox played a cruel prank on the Stork by serving soup in a shallow dish that only he could easily eat from, leaving the Stork hungry and frustrated. However, when the Stork invited the Fox over for dinner and served the meal in a long-necked jar with a narrow mouth that only the Stork could reach, the Fox was left licking the outside of the jar and just as hungry as the Stork had been. The fable shows that actions have consequences and that being kind and considerate can lead to positive outcomes, while being cruel and selfish can lead to negative outcomes. The universal theme of "you reap what you sow" is evident in this fable, as it teaches that how we treat others will ultimately impact how they treat us in return.

Shorter paragraph