Chapter 1 introduces three farmers: The chicken farmer Boggs, the duck-and-goose farmer Bunce, and the turkey-and-apple farmer Bean. The three men’s farms are located in a valley. The farmers have drastically different appearances: The large Boggis boils three of his chickens to eat every day, Bunce is short and pot-bellied due to his diet of goose liver paste and donuts, and the skinny Bean only drinks cider brewed from his apples. Despite their differences, the three men are similar in their greed and cruelty.

Chapter 2 introduces Mr. Fox, who lives in a hole under a large tree in the woods above the valley. Mr. Fox lives with his wife, Mrs. Fox, and their four children, the Small Foxes. Mr. Fox’s family lives off his thefts from the three farms: chickens from Boggis, ducks and geese from Bunce, and turkeys from Bean.

The farmers know that a fox is stealing from them—so each night, they lie in wait with shotguns, hoping to catch the culprit. Mr. Fox manages to evade them with his strong sense of smell. Frustrated by their lack of success, the farmers devise a plan for the following night: They intend to wait above Mr.