一隻飢餓的狐狸，看見纏繞在高架上的葡萄枝掛著幾串成熟的葡萄，就盡力向上跳，想要摘下那些葡萄。但無論他怎麼努力，也是徒勞無功，因為他始終搆不著那些葡萄。於是他放棄了，反而帶著不屑一顧的樣子走開了，邊走邊說：“還以為那些葡萄已經熟透了呢，現在看來根本就是酸葡萄。”

【狐狸和葡萄的寓意】
這則寓言故事告訴我們，有些人因能力欠缺做事總不成功，卻找藉口說時機還沒有成熟。

 

A hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for they were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away with an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking, “I thought those grapes were ripe,but I see now they are quite sour.”