Fantastic Mr. Fox — Chapter 13

About This Passage

This passage rewards close study of Dahl's control of pace. A coiled-spring simile ('as though springs had been released in their legs') detonates into a rush of action; a single word ('Stop!') reverses it; and then the narrator lingers on a grotesque, almost Dickensian detail — the thread of saliva that 'hung suspended in mid-air, then snapped.' Dahl refuses to sanitise his heroes: Mr Fox is hungry, disciplined, and slightly monstrous. Copying this passage teaches students how a single controlled image can carry moral complexity.

Narration Prompt

Summarise Chapter 13 in your own words: what Mr Fox and Badger discover under Bunce's farm, how Mr Fox restrains the animals, what the smallest Small Fox contributes, and what Mr Fox plans for dinner.

Discussion Questions

1. Mr Fox claims he knows these farms 'blindfold' and boasts that he has 'hit it smack on the nose.' How does Dahl balance Mr Fox's pride against his competence? Is his boasting a flaw, a form of leadership, or something more complicated?
2. When the Small Foxes and Badger lunge at the food, Mr Fox orders 'Stop!' and says, 'This is my party, so I shall do the choosing.' What does this moment reveal about the difference between hunger and discipline — and about Mr Fox's role as both a leader and a father?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide