Fantastic Mr Fox Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
Fantastic Mr Fox is the story of a clever fox who feeds his family by stealing from three mean farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean. When the farmers decide to dig him out of his hole and starve him, Mr Fox comes up with a brilliant plan that feeds every animal under the hill.
It is one of Roald Dahl's shortest books for children.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Mr Fox | Clever, daring fox |
| Mrs Fox | His wife |
| The four Small Foxes | Their children |
| Boggis | Fat chicken farmer |
| Bunce | Short duck-and-goose farmer |
| Bean | Thin turkey-and-apple farmer, the cleverest of the three |
| Badger | Friend who helps dig |
| Rat | Drunken rat in Bean's cellar |
Who are the three farmers?
In a valley live three farmers, each nastier than the last. Boggis keeps chickens, Bunce keeps ducks and geese, and Bean keeps turkeys and apples and lives on cider. Every night Mr Fox sneaks down to one farm and takes something for his family's dinner. Fed up, the farmers lie in wait outside his hole and shoot at him, but they hit only his tail.
↑ Back to the topHow do the farmers try to catch him?
The farmers dig with shovels, then with huge mechanical diggers, until the hill is a crater. The foxes dig deeper and deeper to escape. The farmers surround the hole, vowing to wait until the foxes starve. Down below, the family grows weak with hunger.
↑ Back to the topWhat is Mr Fox's plan?
Mr Fox has an idea. With his children he digs a tunnel straight into Boggis's chicken house, then into Bunce's storehouse full of ducks, geese and ham. On the way he meets Badger and the other animals who live under the hill, all starving because of the digging, and invites them to a feast. In Bean's secret cider cellar, they meet a rude, tipsy Rat, and narrowly escape a maid sent for cider.
↑ Back to the topHow does Fantastic Mr Fox end?
All the animals gather in a great underground hall for a magnificent feast, and Mr Fox proposes that they build a little town down there and never go hungry again, helping themselves from the farmers' stores. Meanwhile, Boggis, Bunce and Bean sit beside the hole in the rain, waiting for the fox to come out. And as far as anyone knows, they are waiting there still.
↑ Back to the topMore about Fantastic Mr Fox
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.