“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
A Wild Boar was sharpening his tusks, when a Fox approached him.
The Fox mocked the Boar by looking around, as if in fear of some hidden enemy. But the Boar remained steadfast, and just kept on sharpening his tusks.
“What a waste of time. There’s no danger here,” said the Fox.
“True, that there is no danger here now” replied the Boar, “but if danger should come, I will not have time then to sharpen my weapons.”
Moral of the Story: There is safety in preparedness. Present dangers lend no time to prepare. Plan, and think ahead.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: This fable reminds us to plan ahead and to be vigilant for what may come. Each day is a reward and an investment. Thus the adage: “Quisque dies partim investitio in crastinum, partim praemium pro hesterno est.” (“Each day is part investment for tomorrow, part reward for yesterday.”) [1, 2, 3] Or not. [4]
This fable is a slightly different take on Aesop’s The Ant and the Grasshopper. [*3] In The Ant and the Grasshopper, the characters were generally cast in type with the Grasshopper fiddling and playing while the Ant worked. In that fable, the winter was assured to come.
Aesop is perhaps more subtle message here, with his message and character choices. First, the Fox. The Fox is Aesop’s “clever” character. Cleverness requires strategy, which is thinking ahead. But, here, the clever Fox is only thinking about today and not about future “conditions.” As to the Wild Boar, it might be common to think of such a base and dirty (to us) animal as thoughtless and “out of control,” but the Wild Boar is “remarkably intelligent” and generally smarter than our beloved dogs.
Aesop tells us that the clever Fox is worse that an interested viewer, but an arrogant ridiculer, by “mocking” the Wild Boar. This term “mock” should bring to mind our Jesus [5], who used the same term when talking about planning; to wit:
Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and determine the cost to see if there are sufficient resources for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers should mock him and say, “This man began to build but was unable to finish.“
Or what king making war would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand men he can successfully oppose another king coming against him with twenty thousand men? And, if not, while the other is still at a great distance, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
[6, 7] Here, the Wild Board presents the otherwise clever Fox a “but if” apparently having read his Essential Aesop, and the adage, “‘Si’ est maximum parvum verbum in hoc mundo.” (“‘If’ is the biggest little word in the world.”) The Wild Board is more than intelligent, but additionally wise to consider the conditions and risks of time. [8, 9] Forewarned is forearmed.
The Wild Board—knowing about warlike aggression as predator or prey—prepares for the fight that might come. He won’t be able to do it during the fight, and it doesn’t matter after the fight. The investment is wise and the Fox would do well to listen. Thus the adage:
“Bonae decisiones ad bonas decisiones ducunt. Malae decisiones ad malas decisiones ducunt.” (“Good decisions lead to good decisions. Bad decisions lead to bad decisions.”)
“Think ahead: today for tomorrow—even many days ahead. To those forewarned, there are no strokes of bad luck; no tight spots for those who are prepared. Don’t save your reason for difficult situations; use it to anticipate them.
“Some act, and think later: this is to look for excuses rather than consequences. Others think neither before nor after. Your whole life should be a matter of thinking out your destination. Rethinking and foresight are a good way to live in advance.” Baltasar Gracian. The Art of Worldly Wisdom
“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.“ John F. Kennedy
“Forewarned is forearmed.” Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha
“Bonae decisiones ad bonas decisiones ducunt. Malae decisiones ad malas decisiones ducunt.” (“Good decisions lead to good decisions. Bad decisions lead to bad decisions.”); “Sicut semina parva, facta nostra sopitant, postea nascuntur, sicut flores aut zizania.” (“Like little seeds, our deeds lie dormant, springing up later, as flowers or weeds.”); “Quisque dies partim investitio in crastinum, partim praemium pro hesterno est.” (“Each day is part investment for tomorrow, part reward for yesterday.”); “‘Si’ est maximum parvum verbum in hoc mundo.” (“‘If’ is the biggest little word in the world.”) ~ grz
[1] Are You Ready? [GRZ111] [LinkedIn #GRZ_111]
[2] Be Prepared – Business of Aesop™ No. 29. – The Wild Boar and the Fox. [GRZ26] [LinkedIn #GRZ_26]
[3] Planning Ahead, Vision and Industry – No. 3. The Ant and the Grasshopper – The Essential Aesop™ – Back to Basics Abridgment Series [GRZ98_3] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_3]
[4] The Two Doors of Life: Pleasure and Pain; The One-Two Choice, Say Sages Aesop, Gracian, Jesus and Socrates [GRZ136] [LinkedIn #GRZ_136]
[5] AI Answers: Did Jesus Study Aesop? [GRZ253] [LinkedIn #GRZ_253]
[6] The ONE LinkedIn Reference Set [GRZ183] [LinkedIn #GRZ_183] ONE: 949 [L14:28] (“Shrewd Planning“)
[7] A Fool and His Country are Soon Parted; Or, The Late American Lifeboat Debate [GRZ171] [LinkedIn #GRZ_171]
[8] The Three Noble Cardinal Rules of Wisdom [GRZ189] [LinkedIn #GRZ_189]
[9] Epilogue: On the Wisdom of Aesop [GRZUID24] [LinkedIn #GRZ_24]
ChatGPT Review
Gregg Zegarelli’s “Prepare, Prepare, Prepare – No. 29 – The Wild Boar and the Fox” reframes a deceptively simple fable into a meditation on wisdom as temporal discipline, and a critique of short-sighted cleverness. His method uses layered contrast, inversion of expected character traits, and cross-civilizational citations to explore the ethics of foresight. Here’s a structured breakdown:
🎓 PEDAGOGY
1. Aesop as Strategic Mirror
Zegarelli’s use of Aesop here is diagnostic:
- The Fox, normally the trickster-hero in fables, is exposed as foolish by being clever only in the moment.
- The Boar, often viewed as brutish or instinctual, is elevated for reasoned foresight—a reminder that wisdom is not the same as intelligence.
This inversion is a core didactic move: breaking reader bias by shifting moral admiration from the quick to the thoughtful.
2. Temporal Framing
Zegarelli’s central thesis emerges in layered Latin maxims:
- “Each day is part investment for tomorrow, part reward for yesterday.”
- “If is the biggest little word in the world.”
- “Good decisions lead to good decisions.”
These distill the principle of temporal integrity: ethics as the ability to prepare before risk, not react after it.
🧭 ETHOS AND THEMATIC FRAME
1. Preparedness as Ethical Self-Governance
Preparedness is framed not just as strategic prudence, but as virtue. To prepare is to:
- Respect time,
- Anticipate consequence, and
- Resist self-indulgent procrastination.
This is linked to Gracian’s worldview, JFK’s realism, and Cervantes’ warrior prudence—an alignment of thinkers who value action-before-the-crisis as a sign of wisdom.
2. Mockery as a Sign of Foolishness
The Fox’s mockery is not cleverness—it is hubris masquerading as confidence. Zegarelli connects this to:
- Jesus’s parable of the unprepared builder mocked for failing to finish,
- The political leader who fails to assess odds before marching into conflict (cf. GRZ171),
- And to Aesop’s deeper warning: lack of foresight is not neutral—it endangers others.
🔑 KEY TEACHINGS
| Concept | Teaching |
|---|---|
| Foresight | Intelligence directed through time is called wisdom. |
| Mockery | Dismissiveness of preparation reveals inner arrogance or blindness. |
| Cleverness ≠ Wisdom | The Fox knows, but does not plan. The Boar plans, and therefore survives. |
| Discipline over impulse | The Boar maintains calm purpose, even under ridicule. |
| Risk analysis | “If” governs outcomes. Thoughtful people plan for “ifs” before they arrive. |
🧱 CROSS-REFERENCES IN ZEGARELLI’S ETHOS
- GRZ98_3: The Ant and the Grasshopper – lays groundwork for seasonal preparation, but in a moralistic binary; the Boar/ Fox contrast is more nuanced.
- GRZ111 / GRZ26: Be Prepared – the business analog.
- GRZ189: Three Noble Cardinal Rules of Wisdom – includes temporal prudence.
- GRZ183 (ONE): Jesus’s “shrewd planning” as moral prudence.
- GRZ171: Late American Lifeboat Debate – political failure through lack of foresight.
- GRZ24: Epilogue on Aesop’s wisdom—this article fits squarely within the “Essential 15.”
🧾 CONCLUSION
“Prepare, Prepare, Prepare” isn’t just a lesson in readiness. It’s a challenge to modern hubris—the assumption that cleverness or present comfort negates the need for discipline and preparation. Zegarelli reframes preparedness as a moral virtue grounded in temporal intelligence, not reactionary stress. The Boar is not merely cautious—he is sovereign over his domain because he governs time with foresight.
And those who mock preparation?
“The onlookers will mock him…”
Until they’re running from the wolves.
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/prepare-29-wild-boar-fox-essential-aesop-back-gregg-zegarelli-esq-
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