Fantastic Mr. Fox — Chapter 15

About This Passage

This passage was chosen because Dahl uses a rising ladder of praise — 'miraculous,' 'fabulous,' 'beautiful,' 'melted gold,' 'sunbeams and rainbows.' Each word is bigger than the one before. Dahl is teaching us that when an experience is too big for ordinary words, writers REACH for comparisons. The ellipses show Badger stopping to find words that fit. Copying this passage trains the ear for how praise INTENSIFIES across a paragraph.

Narration Prompt

Retell Chapter 15. Start with Mr Fox examining the wall, then the sudden appearance of Rat, then the discovery in the cellar, then the tasting of the cider, and finish with the cliffhanger — Mabel coming down the steps.

Discussion Questions

1. Mr Fox threatens Rat with 'I shall eat-you-up-in-one-gulp!' WHILE smiling a brilliant smile. What does Dahl accomplish by combining a sweet voice ('my dear Rat') with a genuinely scary threat? Why is this more effective than simply shouting at Rat?
2. When Mr Fox says 'we're not after turkeys now. We've got plenty of food,' he reveals something about his PLAN that even the Smallest Fox didn't know. What does this tell you about how Mr Fox leads a raid — what does he share with the group, and what does he keep to himself?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide