Fantastic Mr.

Fox
By Roald Dahl

Study Guide
Name:
Before You Read
Most good stories have a character or two known as the antagonistsomeone
who makes life difficult for the hero of the story. In this story there are three

antagonists. Think of a favorite book, movie or television program that had a bad
guy (antagonist) that you didnt like. Who was this and why did you feel this way
about him/her?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Write what you already know about foxes on the line below.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Chapter One and Two
1. In Chapter One the author introduces us to the three farmers, Mr. Bunce, Mr.
Boggis and Mr. Bean. Using the chart below write two things about each of
these men.
Mr. Bunce

Mr. Boggis

Mr. Bean

2. Why do you suppose the author chose such unusual names for these men?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you suppose that Bunce kept on eating such disgusting food when it
made him so sick?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Describe the setting of the story.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Why do the farmers hate Mr. Fox so much?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

6. Describe how Mr. Fox avoided being caught by Mr. Boggis when he raids his
chicken house.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

7. How did the farmers plan to catch Mr. Fox at the end of Chapter Two?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Language Activity
As we know, Roald Dahl likes to play around with words. In this story we can
see a lot of alliterationa literary device where the author repeats the same sound
at the beginning of several words. An example from this chapter is Boggis and Bunce
and Bean.
Using your imagination, create your own example of alliteration from the
following topics. Each example must contain a minimum of three words.
The sound a chicken makes:

The bubbling sound of something boiling on the stove:

Vocabulary
lurk-

decent-

smother-

dumplings-

blighter-

enormous-

beastly-

disgust-

Chapter Three
1. What did Boggis smell like?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. What did Bunce smell like?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What fumes were hanging around Bean?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. What does the word cocky mean? Describe a time when you felt cocky
about something.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. What happened to Mr. Fox when the farmers shot at him?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Predict what you think will happen next.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Four

1. Why couldnt Mr. Fox sleep?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Personification is when a writer gives a human quality to something that is
not human. How did the author use personification on pages 16 and 17?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What was Mr. Foxs plan?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Define panting and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Why does Mrs. Fox say, Your Father is a Fantastic Fox?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Five

1. Define cross as you see best fits the way its used in context and write the
sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Do the farmers still think digging was a good idea? How do you know?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What was the new plan?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

4. Describe the appearance of the machines.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. The author uses personification Machines biting huge mouthfuls of soil out
of the hill. How is this personification?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

6. What did Mrs. Fox think the noise was?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Six
1. Who was racing?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Define keen and write a sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Why didnt the farmers stop for lunch?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Define dervish and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. The author uses a simile comparing the hole to a __________ ? How do you know
that this is a simile?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. What made the farmers even angrier?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Seven
1. What time did Farmer Bean and Farmer Bunce switch off the motor to the
machines?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Define rage and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. Does Farmer Bunce have a dirty mouth? How do you know? Use an example
from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

4. What is a solemn oath? Write the sentence from the book in which it was
used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. Define scarlet and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Chapter Eight
1. What did each farmer eat for dinner?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. How did the farmers divide up the watch duty?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Define flicked and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Chapter Nine
1. What were the farmers planning on doing with the 108 men that work on
their farms?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. How long has the waiting game been going on?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What does Mr. Fox mean when he says, I dont want to raise your hopes.?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Define murky and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Chapter Ten and Eleven

1. The Foxes reach wooden planks. Where does Mr. Fox think they are?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Define shriek and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Define teeming and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Why were the foxes prancing and dancing for joy?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Where do you think theyre going to dig next?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Twelve
1. Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its
literal meaning: the irony of her reply, How nice! when I said I had to work all
weekend. What is ironic about whats happening in the story?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Who did the foxes meet?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Who does the badger say is suffering from the farmers chaos caused by Mr.
Fox?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Why does Mr. Fox invite all the diggers over for the feast?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Thirteen and Fourteen
1. Define gaped and write the sentence in the book from which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Where are the animals now? (pg. 52)

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Why does Mr. Fox want to be clean and tidy?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Define steep and write a sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. The author uses a simile comparing their eyes like __________________? What
does this mean?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Where do you think theyre going next?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. Badger is worried that they are all doing something wrong by stealing. How
does Mr. Fox justify this?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Chapter Fifteen
1. Why was it easy for Mr. Fox to loosen the bricks?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Who did Mr. Fox meet when they entered the cider cellar?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. What did Mr. Fox say that scared the rat away?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Define accustomed and write the sentence from the book in which it was
used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. What was different about this cider that made it different from the one you
can buy from the grocery store?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Write 2 similes that the author uses to describe the cider. (pg. 65)

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. What happened to Badger and rat after they drank the cider?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Chapter Sixteen
1. What did Farmer Bean promise Mabel?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. What does Mrs. Bean promise Mabel and what does she say she say she could
do with it?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Why didnt Mabel see the foxes?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Why should the rats be scared and run from the cellar?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Synonyms are words that mean the same for another word. Example: Big and
Grand are synonyms because they mean the same thing. According to page
71, what are three synonyms for thieves?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Chapter Seventeen and Eighteen

1. Define impudent and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. What was the wonderful and amazing sight? (pg. 74)

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. Name all of the animal families that make up the animals attending the feast.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Define ravenous and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Define succulent and write the sentence from the book in which it was used.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

6. Why did the other animals start laughing when Mr. Fox was giving his
speech?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. What does Mr. Fox mean when he uses the simile, And everyday we will eat
like Kings.?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
After Reading
Now that you have read the entire book please answer the following questions.

Please give three character traits that you think best define Mr. Fox.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
If you could be any character in this book, who would you want to be? Explain
why.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
If you could change one thing that happened in this book, what would it be?
Why?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Roald Dahls
Wonderfully Wild and
Wacky Words
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________