A russet felt fox with a paper rosette holding a yellow chick pincushion on a mint stool against a dusty rose background.

Original artwork, not a still

Felix Holt · 1866

George Eliot

An election is coming. Universal peace is declared, and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A sly joke about political convenience: when an election approaches, foxes suddenly declare peace and become keenly concerned with chickens' long lives. The humour lies in the obvious self-interest behind the sudden kindness toward those they'd normally prey on.

Context reviewed

Share this quote