Approximately fifteen of the more than twenty-five tales were written between 1174 and 1205, and their enormous popularity encouraged the writing of several more through the middle of the thirteenth century. All these independently written verse narratives, often referred to as "branches" by the many anonymous authors, are derived, directly or indirectly, from the work of Pierre Saint-Cloud who was the first to write in French about the famous triangle of Renard the fox, Ysengrin the wolf, and Hersent, his less than virtuous wife.

Many of the stories in Renard the Fox depict various episodes in the feud between the clever and often malicious Renard and the somewhat stupid and greedy Ysengrin. But Renard does not limit himself to playing tricks on the wolf: his pranks humiliate and injure almost all the other animals in the kingdom.