Fantastic Mr. Fox
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Fantastic Mr Fox is a children's novel written by Roald Dahl, first published in the US by Alfred A. Knopf in 1970 with illustrations by Donald Chaffin. Some later editions were illustrated by Tony Ross, others by Quentin Blake and Jill Bennett.
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[edit] Plot summary
The story is about a fox named Mr Fox. At night, he steals chickens, ducks, and turkeys from three mean farmers — Boggis, Bunce and Bean — in order to feed his family. The farmers are fed up with this and try everything to kill him. One night they wait outside his foxhole in an attempt to ambush him. When Mr Fox emerges from his home, they fire at him but only succeed in blowing off his tail.
Determined to catch him, the farmers use spades and shovels to dig their way into the foxes' home, but Mr and Mrs Fox and their four children dig a tunnel deeper into the ground and manage to escape. The farmers even resort to using bulldozers in order to dig deeper into the ground, but to no avail.
The three men therefore decide to play a waiting game, keeping watch on the entrance to the tunnel with shotguns at the ready, while their men patrol the area to make sure the foxes don't escape.
After three days of starving, Mr Fox comes up with a plan. He and his children dig further on and end up in Boggis' number one chicken house. There they steal some chickens and depart without leaving any sign of their presence there. They also raid Bunce's storehouse of ducks, geese and vegetables and Bean's underground cellar of apple cider.
Along the way they meet Badger and other digging animals who are also starving due to the farmers' siege of the hillside. Mr Fox, feeling responsible for the whole affair, invites the other animals to a feast made from the loot and they all decide to make an underground town where they will be safe, while discreetly obtaining food from the farmers.
Meanwhile Boggis, Bunce and Bean keep guard on the tunnel entrance in pouring rain, unaware that Mr Fox and his friends are stealing their food right under their noses.
[edit] Verse about the three farmers
In the book, local children sing the following verse (a limerick) to taunt the three farmers:
Boggis and Bunce and Bean
One fat, one short, one lean.
These horrible crooks
So different in looks
Were nonetheless equally mean.
[edit] Out door friends
- Robin the Robin
- Al the Alpaca
- Dexter the Deer
- Fins the Fish
- Mawak the Minnow
- Sirrel the Squirrel
- Mini the Mouse
- Kekky the Kestrel
- Otto the Owl
- Vincent the Vole
- Olivia the Otter
- Sherryl the Shrew
- Hop the Hare
- Sarah the Sheep
- Penny the Pig
- Diego the Duck
- Horace the Horse
- Cuza the Cuckoo
- Buzz the Bee
- Spiderio the Spider
- Stoatis the Stoat
- Nog the Newt
- Dominic the Donkey
- Harry the Hawk
- Reanne the Rook
- Draco the Dragonfly
- Sue the Swan
- Henry the Heron
- Crabby the Crab
- Collin the Cat
- Woody the Woodpecker
- Moses the Mosquito
- Sam the Seagull
- Franklin the Frog
- Todd the Toad
- Philip the Pigeon
- Amanda the Adder
- Hermes the Hedgehog
- Percy the Pheasant
- Snozie the Swallow
- Slowcoach the Snail
- Salbent the Salmon
- Ted Ted the Toy
- Maggie the Magpie
- Kingston the Kingfisher
- Crio the Cricket
- Florence the Flower
[edit] Film version
The book is being adapted into a film by director Wes Anderson for release in 2009.
[edit] Animals
- Mrs'
Children
[edit] External links
- Fantastic Mr. Fox at the Internet Movie Database
- Fantastic Mr. Fox opera
- Fantastic Mr Fox board game
