Fantastic Mr. Fox · Garden Heights Academy
Part 4
for Fantastic Mr. Fox · Part 4 · Chapters 9–10
a story by Roald Dahl
This workbook is built on a solid pedagogical foundation, effectively integrating content and language learning based on the CLIL framework (Content and Language Integrated Learning), elevated by our unique 5th C — Connection — and an integrated Standardized Test section that weaves every SAT & TOEFL question type right into the novel, so learners build real test skills easily, naturally, and with fun.
💭 Before You Read · Just for Fun
No right or wrong answers — just think or chat about it: Have you ever had a brilliant idea arrive at the very last moment — where were you? What is the cleverest plan you have ever made? And when something blocks your way, do you push harder… or think sideways?
What Happens in Part 4
Just when all seems lost, Mr. Fox suddenly jumps up — he has a plan! Instead of trying to escape, he will dig a tunnel in one special direction: straight toward a place he knows is full of food. His hope returns at once, and his children dig with him, faster than ever. They tunnel sideways and then up, up, up — until they burst through a wooden floor and find themselves inside Boggis’s Chicken House Number One. Mr. Fox grabs three fat, plump hens and sends food back to his starving family. The farmers are still guarding the hole above — but the clever foxes are eating right under their noses!
What We Will Learn
| Literary Element | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Turning Point | The moment when a story changes direction — here, from hopeless to hopeful |
| Irony | When the opposite of what someone expects actually happens |
| Theme | The big idea or message of a story |
Chapter Summary
| Chapter | Title & Key Events |
|---|---|
| Ch.9 | Mr. Fox Has a Plan — after days of starving, Mr. Fox thinks of a plan; full of hope, he sets his children digging in one special direction |
| Ch.10 | Boggis’s Chicken House Number One — the foxes tunnel up into Boggis’s chicken house, grab three plump hens and water, and send food back to the family |
Copyright Notice
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Roald Dahl or the Roald Dahl Story Company. No text from the novel is reproduced. Students should read the original book. Reference text: This workbook follows Roald Dahl’s classic text (the standard Puffin edition sold worldwide). Revised 2023 UK editions change some wording and may not match the vocabulary studied here.
Part 1
Vocabulary
Study 10 key words from Chapters 9–10, then answer each question.
Knowledge Bank · Brains Over Machines
Science · Champion DiggersHow can a small fox beat farmers with giant machines? Speed and skill. A digging animal moves earth with its own body, tucking soil under its belly and kicking it back with strong hind legs. A fox does not need fuel or engines; it simply digs, rests, and digs again. Below ground, this makes the fox faster and quieter than any spade. Scientists say a burrowing animal can shift many times its own weight in soil. Dahl uses this true idea to give Mr Fox the win: against heavy iron machines, the fox’s best weapon is its natural digging skill.
ⓘ Vocabulary words are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the novel.
plann.Ch.9
An idea you think out carefully for how to do something
“Mr. Fox suddenly leapt up, his eyes shining: he had a plan.”
tunneln./v.Ch.9
A long hole dug under the ground; to dig such a hole
“They would tunnel a long way sideways, toward food.”
directionn.Ch.9
The way that something points or moves
“Mr. Fox chose the exact direction to dig and told his children to begin.”
announcev.Ch.9
To tell people something important, often proudly
“‘I have a plan,’ Mr. Fox announced to his hungry family.”
reliefn.Ch.9
The good feeling you get when worry or pain goes away
“A wave of relief swept through the family when Mr. Fox smiled again.”
plumpadj.Ch.10
Pleasantly fat and round
“The chicken house was full of plump, sleepy hens.”
wrigglev.Ch.10
To twist and turn your body to move through a tight space
“Mr. Fox had to wriggle up through the gap between the floorboards.”
silentadj.Ch.10
Without any sound; completely quiet
“He worked silent and swift, so the guards above would hear nothing.”
burstv.Ch.10
To break open or come through suddenly
“With one push, they burst up through the floor of the chicken house.”
preciousadj.Ch.10
Very valuable; greatly treasured
“To the starving family, the three hens were more precious than gold.”
1Mr. Fox thought out a careful idea for how to save his family. What is such an idea called?Ch.9
2True or False: A “tunnel” is a long hole dug under the ground.Ch.9
3Mr. Fox told his family the good news proudly: “I have a plan!” Which word means to tell people something important?Ch.9
4Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.9
Word choices:directionreliefplumpsilent- some words will not be used
Mr. Fox chose the exact to dig, pointing toward the food.
His family felt a wave of when they saw him smile again.
5True or False: A “plump” hen is pleasantly fat and round.Ch.10
6Mr. Fox had to twist and turn his body to squeeze up through the narrow gap. Which word means this?Ch.10
7The foxes had to work without making any sound, so the guards would not hear. Which word means completely quiet?Ch.10
8True or False: To “burst” through something means to break through it suddenly.Ch.10
9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.10
Word choices:precioustunnelannouncerelief- some words will not be used
To dig toward the food, the foxes had to make a long under the ground.
To the starving family, the three hens were more than gold.
10The way that something points or moves is its —Ch.9
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 9–10?
Knowledge Bank · Noticing the Turning Point
Reading Skill · Turning PointMany stories have a turning point — the moment when everything changes direction. Before it, the foxes only run and hide. At the turning point, Mr Fox stops being afraid and makes a bold plan to dig toward the farms. From here the story turns from fear to hope. Good readers watch for this shift. Ask yourself: where does the mood change from bad to good, or from sad to exciting? Often it starts with a character deciding to act. Spotting the turning point shows you how a writer builds a story. It is the hinge on which the whole tale swings.
1What suddenly happens to Mr. Fox at the start of Chapter 9?Ch.9
2True or False: Mr. Fox’s plan is to dig a tunnel toward a place that is full of food.Ch.9
3Who helps Mr. Fox dig the new tunnel?Ch.9
4True or False: When the foxes break through the floor, they find themselves inside Boggis’s Chicken House Number One.Ch.10
5Put the events from Chapters 9–10 in the correct order. Write 1–4 (1 = first).Ch.9–10
- They tunnel sideways and upward and burst through a wooden floor.
- He sets his children digging in one special direction, toward food.
- Inside Boggis’s chicken house, Mr. Fox grabs three plump hens and sends food back.
- After days of starving, Mr. Fox suddenly thinks of a plan.
6True or False: Mr. Fox’s plan is to run out of the hole and fight the farmers.Ch.9
7What does Mr. Fox take from the chicken house?Ch.10
8Why is the foxes’ plan so clever, even though the farmers are still guarding the hole?Ch.10
9True or False: After Mr. Fox announces his plan, the family’s mood changes from hopeless to hopeful.Ch.9
10Where are the three farmers while the foxes are feasting on the chickens?Ch.10
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Dahl writes Chapters 9–10 the way he does.
Knowledge Bank · Action Words
Language · Strong VerbsWatch the verbs Dahl chooses when the foxes dig. They do not just move; they scrabble, scrape, and burrow toward the farms. A verb is an action word, and a strong verb makes the action leap off the page. Dahl could have written that the foxes went along the tunnel, but that would feel flat. Instead his lively verbs make us feel each paw tearing at the soil. Writers pick punchy verbs to give a scene speed and energy. As you read, underline the action words; the best ones do the most work.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
A turning point is the moment when a story changes direction. When Mr. Fox suddenly thinks of his plan, the story turns from hopeless to hopeful, and the foxes go from victims to winners.Irony is when the opposite of what someone expects actually happens. The farmers expect to starve the foxes — yet the foxes end up feasting on the farmers’ own chickens, right under their feet.Theme is the big idea or message of a story. A clear theme of Fantastic Mr. Fox appears here: cleverness can beat strength. Mr. Fox has no machines or men, but one good idea defeats them all.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1When Mr. Fox suddenly thinks of his plan, the whole story changes from hopeless to hopeful. This kind of moment is called a —Ch.9
2True or False: Irony is when exactly what a character expects finally comes true.Ch.10
3Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.9–10
Word choices:themeclevernessrhymesetting- some words will not be used
The big idea or message of a story is its . Here, the message is that can beat strength.
4The farmers wait to starve the foxes, but the foxes secretly eat the farmers’ own chickens. This surprising opposite of what the farmers expect is called —Ch.10
5True or False: One theme of Fantastic Mr. Fox is that being clever can beat being big and strong.Ch.9–10
6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.9
Word choices:turning pointplanrhymesetting- some words will not be used
The moment the story changes direction is the . It happens when Mr. Fox announces his clever .
7The big idea or message that runs through a whole story is called its —Ch.9–10
8True or False: A turning point is the moment when a story changes direction.Ch.9
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.10
Word choices:ironyoppositerhymesetting- some words will not be used
When the of what someone expects happens, we call it . The starving plan ends with the foxes feasting.
10The farmers grimly guard an EMPTY hole while, right under their boots, the foxes eat Boggis’s own chickens. Which pairing correctly names this?Ch.10
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
Knowledge Bank · Changing the Game
Character · ClevernessWhen the farmers guarded every exit, Mr Fox could not win by playing their game. So he changed it. Instead of fighting strength with strength, he used his own gift — digging — to reach the food a new way. This teaches a real lesson: when one path is blocked, a clever thinker looks for a different one. Losing is not always about being weak; sometimes it is about playing the wrong game. Mr Fox turns his small size into a strength. The next time a problem seems too big, ask what you can do differently. That fresh idea is real cleverness.
1Claim: “Mr. Fox’s clever plan turns the siege to the foxes’ advantage.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2The problem the foxes face, or Mr. Fox’s clever solution? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ The problemThe clever solution ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
The foxes are starving→
The farmers guard the surface→
They tunnel to Boggis’s chickens→
The plan works→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
Mr. Fox digs toward the chicken house because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test · Inference & Author’s Purpose
Part 4 trains the two “reading between the lines” skills — Inference (what must be true even if unstated) and Author’s Purpose (why a detail is there) — plus Vocabulary in Context and Factual Detail, in the styles the SAT and TOEFL use. Read the passage (the highlighted words are tested below), then choose the answer best supported by the text.
Knowledge Bank · Reading Between the Lines
Test Skills · Part 4An Inference question asks what the passage proves without saying: find the clue sentences, then choose the answer they force to be true — never the one that just “sounds possible.” A Purpose question asks what job a sentence does: is it an example? a contrast? a hook? Try reading the paragraph without that sentence — whatever went missing is the purpose. Both skills reward slowing down at the exact lines the question points to.
For a long time, people believed that only humans could truly solve problems — until scientists began to observe animals more closely. In one famous study, a crow was given food at the bottom of a tall tube, out of reach; the bird picked up a straight piece of wire, bent it into a hook, and lifted the food out. Nobody had taught it — the crow examined the problem and invented a tool on the spot. Clever animals share a method: they rarely give up after one failed attempt, they try again in a new way, and they remember their previous mistakes so they do not repeat them. Some even learn by watching — a young animal can imitate an older one and master a trick it has never tried itself. Red foxes add memory to the toolkit: they bury spare food in dozens of secret spots and can locate almost every one, even weeks later, under snow. Why did such cleverness evolve? Because thinking is cheaper than fighting — the animal that plans wins its reward — food, safety, escape — while taking the smallest possible risk.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1As used in the passage, the word “observe” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
2According to the passage, how do red foxes find food they buried weeks earlier?TOEFL · Factual Information
3According to the passage, what did the crow do to reach the food?TOEFL · Factual Information
4As used in the passage, the word “previous” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
5According to the passage, what do red foxes do with spare food?TOEFL · Factual Information
6In the passage, the word “imitate” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
7The passage most strongly suggests that animal cleverness is mainly used for —SAT · Inference
8Insert Text (TOEFL). Look at the four squares [1]–[4] in the passage excerpt below. They show where the following sentence could be added:
“The bird had, in effect, imagined the tool before it existed.”
“The bird had, in effect, imagined the tool before it existed.”
In one famous study, a crow was given food at the bottom of a tall tube, out of reach. [1] The bird picked up a straight piece of wire, bent it into a hook, and lifted the food out. [2] Nobody had taught it — the crow examined the problem and invented a tool on the spot. [3] Clever animals share a method: they rarely give up after one failed attempt, they try again in a new way, and they remember their previous mistakes. [4]
Where would the sentence fit best?TOEFL · Insert Text9Based on the passage, an animal that remembers its failed attempts will most likely —TOEFL · Inference
10Which statement best describes the purpose of the passage as a whole?SAT · Text Structure & Purpose
Part 6 · Optional
Creative Writing
A bonus challenge to practice your English.
About This Section
This writing task is optional and not part of your auto-graded score. Feedback checks length, spelling, and grammar only.
Writing Task — Part 4 “Boggis’s Chicken House”
Imagine you are one of the young foxes who has just burst up through the floor into Boggis’s chicken house. After days of hunger, what do you see, smell, and feel? Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “The moment my head popped through the floorboards, the smell hit me, and I could hardly believe my eyes because…”
0 / 40 words minimum
🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)
No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.
🏆
Part 4 Complete!
You finished Chapters 9–10 of Fantastic Mr. Fox.
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