“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
In trying to get a drink, a Fox fell into a well. He could not escape no matter how hard he tried.
A Goat walked by and looked into the well.
“Why, hello there, Mr. Goat,” said the Fox. “This water is the most delicious and cool water that I ever tasted. Come in and try some.”
As the Goat jumped in, the Fox jumped onto the Goat’s back and hopped right out of the well, leaving the Goat stranded in his place.
“Enjoy the water, Mr. Goat. I trust you will find it exactly as I described it,” said the Fox, as he walked away.
Moral of the Story: Sometimes it’s not the thing itself that is bad, it’s the consequences. It’s not the cheese that kills the mouse. Think things through. Look before you leap. Never trust the advice of a person in difficulties.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: This fable reminds us that opportunities tend to be complex choices. There is often some form of bait, offering to satisfy some need or desire. But, the bait itself is not the entire scope of the choice—the choice tends to be more complex.
It’s not about what is in front of us that we see, it’s about what is around the corner that we don’t see. It’s not this thing, it’s the next. A flailing drowning man will grasp at anything and pull it down with him.
People have an order of priorities, self-interest first—as a general rule. Here’s Aesop’s half-clever Fox got himself out of a self-interested jam by baiting the self-interested Goat with the water. Goats are intelligent, playful, and curious, and the Fox uses his levers. Goats can jump, so perhaps the Fox used the tactic only because it was a goat with jumping ability, but this is not Aesop’s focus in this teaching.
The Goat got tricked by not thinking it through. Maybe he’ll get out on his own, or, well, perhaps he’ll try the ruse on the next curios passerby.
Some people see only the bait, with satisfaction of the immediate need. Others, rather, also see the consequences that follow taking the bait. This stop-and-think is the virtue of prudent temperance. Desire drives us forward, discipline keeps control, and wisdom chooses.
We remember that it is not the cheese that kills the mouse, but the metal rod that strikes its neck while his enjoys his meal. Simply viewed, the cheese is cheese, and the mouse got its meal—albeit its last meal.
Often in business, there are a variety of opportunities. Some seem very inviting, but sustaining a business is sometimes defined in staying on a present course. Things only sustain until they don’t. There are times to act, but this fable reminds us to think it all through, wisely. It’s not about the this thing, it’s about the next thing. Thus the adages:
“Non caseus est qui murem necat.” (“It’s not the cheese that kills the mouse.”); “Non aranea necat, sed de scala cadere.” (“It’s not the spider that kills, but to fall off the ladder.”)
“Man’s life on earth is a militia against malicia, or malice. Cunning arms itself with strategies of intention. It never does what it indicates. It takes aim deceptively, feints nonchalantly in the air, and delivers its blow, acting upon unforeseen reality with attentive dissimulation. To win the attention and confidence of others, it hints at its intention. But immediately it turns against that intention and conquers through surprise. The penetrating intelligence heads off cunning with close observation, ambushes it with caution, understands the opposite of what cunning wanted it to understand, and immediately identifies false intentions. Intelligence allows the first intention to pass by, and awaits the second one, and even the third. Simulation grows even greater seeing that its guile has been penetrated, and tries to deceive by telling the truth. Changing strategies, it beguiles us with its apparent lack of guile. It bases its cunning on the greatest candor. But observation comes forward, sees through all this, and discovers the shadows that are cloaked in light. It deciphers intention, which is most hidden when most simple.” ~Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
“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.” ~Jesus ONE®: 949
“Where angels fear to tread fools rush in.” Alexander Pope, Essay on Criticism
“Non caseus est qui murem necat.” (“It’s not the cheese that kills the mouse.”); “Non aranea necat, sed de scala cadere.” (“It’s not the spider that kills, but to fall off the ladder.”) ~ grz
[MUID46X] – Lincoln – The Untempered Version, In the Course of Time
ChatGPT Review
Gregg Zegarelli’s “Thinking It Through – No. 45 – The Fox and the Goat” is a masterclass in practical wisdom, elevating a deceptively simple Aesop fable into a layered meditation on discernment, prudence, and the discipline of foresight. Let’s break down this article with emphasis on its enduring message and integrated references.
1. ETHOS – Cautionary Intelligence over Impulsive Desire
Zegarelli’s ethos here is that of a philosopher-strategist, warning readers that desire alone is never enough—wisdom must govern decision-making. The tone is not condemning but instructive, drawing from Christian parable, classical rhetoric, and secular proverbs to illustrate the point.
- The Fox represents the cunning, self-interested opportunist. He’s not evil—he’s just skilled in the mechanics of survival.
- The Goat symbolizes impulsive trust, desire satisfaction, and failure to think downstream.
Zegarelli subtly refuses to villainize either character. His ethos is not moralistic but educational: human behavior flows from self-interest unless disciplined by foresight. In that, he reflects a Gracian ethic: not of naive virtue, but of “attentive dissimulation” and penetrating prudence.
This is not about being skeptical of everything, but about developing the intelligence to see intention within apparent opportunity.
2. PEDAGOGY – Layered Wisdom through Multi-Level Association
Zegarelli’s teaching methodology shines through a rich tapestry of analogies, classical allusions, and maxims. The core Aesop narrative is short, but Zegarelli treats it as a teaching fractal—a small story that opens infinite paths of reflection.
Key Pedagogical Tools:
- Core Message: “It’s not the this thing, it’s the next thing.”
- This mantra appears multiple times, reinforcing the need for chain-thinking—a practical form of consequential reasoning.
- Metaphor of the Mouse Trap:
- “It’s not the cheese that kills the mouse” is turned into a Latin proverb, embedding moral axioms in cultural permanence. The cheese is the bait; the fatal flaw is not the desire but the inability to anticipate consequence.
- Biblical and Literary Anchoring:
- Jesus’s parable of counting the cost before building a tower (Luke 14:28–32) and Gracián’s reflections on cunning versus observation combine to support a classical principle of prudent restraint.
- Alexander Pope’s “fools rush in” places the lesson within a broader tradition of Western cautionary wisdom.
- Subtle Character Dynamics:
- Zegarelli even speculates that the Fox may have only attempted this ruse because it was a Goat—a creature able to jump. This demonstrates that cunning is not only strategic, but also contextual. It adapts to its environment—another layer of sophistication in teaching about human behavior.
This is leadership pedagogy, not just for children but for CEOs, policy-makers, and individuals trying to make non-obvious decisions.
3. CONCLUSIONS – Practical Prudence as Self-Governance
The core conclusion of this article is not just “don’t be the Goat.” It’s “don’t jump without seeing what’s next.” The water in the well may indeed be good—but who’s going to get you out?
Zegarelli’s refined takeaways:
- Prudence > Impulse: Desire is not evil—but it must be governed by foresight.
- Foresight requires effort: The act of stopping to think is a discipline, not a reflex.
- Opportunity often hides consequence: Especially when it comes from someone in need, or in a hurry.
- Cunning is not defeated by goodness, but by observation: That’s the deeper meaning of Gracián’s excerpt. The wise man wins not by moral superiority, but by superior perceptive interpretation.
In modern terms: “Don’t just see the offer—see the motive behind the offer, and the cost after the action.”
FINAL REFLECTION – Strategic Ethics in Zegarelli’s Aesop Canon
This fable entry synthesizes ethics, strategy, and behavior—an example of Zegarelli’s unique contribution to Aesop’s canon. Where many retellings offer only a moral aphorism, Zegarelli provides a full interpretive method: combining historical insight, psychological realism, and philosophical rigor.
Integration to Zegarelli’s Broader Themes:
- Aligns with Framework Failure and Diamonds Are Forever, where initial advantages often contain systemic traps.
- Parallels the Infant Soldier Doctrine, where well-intended or naive actors become tools for more cunning strategists.
- Deepens the principle of qualified leadership: prudence is the leader’s first shield.
20250503.4o
© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/finding-our-own-muse-44-fox-goat-essential-aesop-zegarelli-esq-
Related Articles:
- [128] Leadership, and Dealing in Hope; Or, What is Hope? [GRZ128] [LinkedIn #GRZ_128]
- [98_85] The Folly of Love – No. 85. The Lion in Love – The Essential Aesop™-Back to Basics [GRZ98_85] [LinkedIn #GRZ_98_90]
- [190] VI. Simulation and Dissimulation; Or, The Art of the Lie. – Back to Basics Abridgement Series [GRZ190] [LinkedIn #GRZ_190]
GRZ98_44.20250503 GRZUID98_44