A Foolish Stag Story With Quotations for 10th & 12th Class (Easy Moral Story)

“A Foolish Stag” is one of the most popular moral stories set in 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th class English papers. It is a short, memorable fable with a powerful lesson: we often value the wrong things. Below you will find the complete a foolish stag story with quotations, a short version for junior classes, the moral, important quotations, and tips to write it for full marks.

You may also like our other moral stories: The Fox and the Grapes, The Thirsty Crow and All That Glitters Is Not Gold.

A Foolish Stag Story With Quotations (For 10th, 11th and 12th Class)

Title: A Foolish Stag

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful stag in a thick forest. He was proud of his appearance and spent much of his time admiring himself.

One hot summer day, the stag felt very thirsty. He went to a clear pool of water to drink. As he bent down, he saw his reflection in the still water. He was delighted to see his long, branching horns. He said to himself, “How beautiful my horns are! No other animal in the forest has such a crown.”

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” — The Bible (Proverbs 16:18)

Then his eyes fell on his legs. They were thin and plain. His face became sad. “What ugly, thin legs I have,” he said. “They do not match my beautiful horns at all. I wish they were as handsome as my antlers.”

Suddenly, he heard the sound of hunters and the barking of their dogs. The stag was terrified. He ran as fast as he could. His thin, strong legs carried him swiftly across the open plain, and he soon left the hunters and dogs far behind.

“Appearances are deceptive.” — Proverb

Then the stag entered a thick forest. As he ran between the trees, his long horns got entangled in the branches of a bush. He struggled hard to free himself, but the more he pulled, the more tightly his horns were caught. Meanwhile, the dogs came near.

At last, the stag realised his mistake. He said sadly, “How foolish I was! I hated my legs, which tried to save my life, and I loved my horns, which have brought about my ruin.” Soon the hunters arrived and caught him.

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” — Thomas Fuller

Moral of the Story

We often despise what is most useful to us and value what is merely beautiful.

Other morals you can use:

• Beauty without usefulness is worthless.
• Appearances are deceptive.
• Pride hath a fall.
• All that glitters is not gold.

Short A Foolish Stag Story With Quotations (150 Words) for Class 6, 7 and 8

Once, a stag went to a pool to drink water. He saw his reflection in the water. He was very proud of his beautiful horns, but he felt sad when he saw his thin legs. He thought his legs were ugly.

Just then, some hunters came with their dogs. The stag ran away quickly. His thin legs carried him far away from the hunters. But when he entered a forest, his horns got caught in the branches of a tree. He could not free himself. The hunters reached him and caught him.

Before he died, the stag said, “I hated my legs, but they saved me. I loved my horns, but they killed me.”

Moral: We often despise what is useful and admire what is harmful.

Important Quotations for A Foolish Stag Story

Learn these quotations to add value to any a foolish stag story with quotations answer:

• “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” — Proverbs 16:18
• “Appearances are deceptive.” — Proverb
• “All that glitters is not gold.” — Proverb (popularised by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice as “All that glisters is not gold”)
• “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” — Thomas Fuller
• “Beauty is only skin deep.” — Proverb
• “Pride hath a fall.” — Proverb

Outline of A Foolish Stag Story With Quotations

1. A proud stag lives in a forest.
2. He goes to a pool to drink water.
3. He admires his horns but hates his thin legs.
4. Hunters and dogs arrive.
5. His legs help him escape across the plain.
6. His horns get stuck in the bushes.
7. He realises his mistake and is caught.
8. Moral: we often despise what is useful.

Origin of the Story

“A Foolish Stag” is based on the ancient fable known as The Stag at the Pool, traditionally attributed to Aesop’s Fables. Like other Aesop stories, it uses animals to teach a simple, timeless lesson about human behaviour.

Tips to Write A Foolish Stag Story With Quotations in Exams

• Write a title at the top: “A Foolish Stag”.
• Use the past tense throughout the story.
• Include dialogue — the stag’s words make the story lively.
• Add 3–5 quotations after the paragraphs they support.
• Write the moral clearly at the end, in bold or underlined.
• Keep to the word limit: 250–350 words for 10th and 12th class.

For more exam practice, see our My Hobby essay with quotations, A Rainy Day essay and A Stitch in Time Saves Nine story.

A Foolish Stag Story With Quotations: FAQs

What is the moral of A Foolish Stag?

The moral is that we often despise things that are truly useful and admire things that are merely beautiful. Other suitable morals are “Appearances are deceptive” and “Beauty without usefulness is worthless.”

Which quotations are best for A Foolish Stag story?

“Appearances are deceptive,” “Pride goeth before destruction” and “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry” fit the story well.

Who wrote A Foolish Stag?

It is based on the ancient Aesop fable The Stag at the Pool; the version used in textbooks is a simplified retelling.

How long should A Foolish Stag story be?

For 10th and 12th class, 250–350 words is usually enough. For junior classes, 120–150 words is fine.