一隻飢饿的狐狸，看见缠绕在高架上的葡萄枝挂着几串成熟的葡萄，就尽力向上跳，想要摘下那些葡萄。但无论他怎麽努力，也是徒劳无功，因为他始终搆不着那些葡萄。于是他放弃了，反而带着不屑一顾的样子走开了，边走边说：“还以为那些葡萄已经熟透了呢，现在看来根本就是酸葡萄。”

【狐狸和葡萄的寓意】
这则寓言故事告诉我们，有些人因能力欠缺做事总不成功，却找藉口说时机还没有成熟。

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.”