AESOP’S FABLE OF the fox and the stork invokes the idea of indirect
discrimination. The story tells how the fox invited the stork for a
meal. For a mean joke, the fox served soup in a shallow dish, which
the fox could lap up easily, but the stork could only wet the end of her long
bill on the plate and departed still hungry. The stork invited the fox for a
return visit and served soup in a long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, into
which the fox could not insert his snout. Whilst several moral lessons might
be drawn from this tale, it is often regarded as supporting the principle
that one should have regard to the needs of others, so that everyone may
be given fair opportunities in life. Though formally giving each animal an
equal opportunity to enjoy the dinner, in practice the vessels for the serving
of the soup inevitably excluded the guest on account of their particular
characteristics.