One day, a crow found a piece of cheese and flew to a tree to enjoy her prize in peace. She settled on a branch, holding the cheese firmly in her beak, pleased with her good fortune.
Unfortunately for the crow, a fox happened to pass beneath the tree.
The fox spotted the cheese immediately. He wanted it for himself, but he knew that he could not simply climb up and snatch it from the crow. He would have to find another way.
Looking up at her, he began to devise a plan.
“Good day, Mistress Crow!” he called cheerfully. “How splendid you look today! Your feathers are so glossy, and your eyes are so bright. I have never seen a bird with such an impressive appearance.”
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The crow looked down at him, listening to his compliments.
The fox continued, making sure that every word sounded sincere.
“I am certain your voice must be just as remarkable as your appearance. Surely, no other bird can sing as beautifully as you. If only I could hear you sing, I would gladly recognise you as the Queen of Birds!”
The crow was delighted. She had been enjoying her cheese, but now she was enjoying something else: the fox’s admiration.
The thought of being praised as the finest bird pleased her greatly. She wanted to prove that the fox was right and show him what her voice could do.
Without considering why the fox was so eager to hear her sing, she lifted her head, opened her beak and let out her loudest caw.
The moment she opened her mouth, the cheese slipped free.
Down it fell from the branch, landing within easy reach of the waiting fox.
Before the crow could react, the fox snatched up the cheese and swallowed it.
The crow watched helplessly as her meal disappeared.
“That will do,” said the fox, looking up at her. “That was all I wanted.”
He had no interest in her singing after all. The compliments had been nothing more than a clever trick to get what he wanted.
Then, having secured his prize, the fox offered the crow a final piece of advice.
“Next time, do not let flattery make you forget what you have.”
The crow remained on the branch, empty-beaked and wiser for the experience. Her desire to hear herself praised had cost her the very thing she had been so pleased to possess.
And the fox went on his way with the cheese, having shown how a few carefully chosen words could accomplish what force alone might not.
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Moral
Do not let flattery cloud your judgement. Praise is not always sincere, and some people use kind words to gain something for themselves. Think carefully before allowing another person’s compliments to influence your decisions.
Knowledge Check
1. What did the crow have in her beak?
Answer: A piece of cheese.
2. Why did the fox praise the crow?
Answer: He wanted her to open her beak so that the cheese would fall.
3. What caused the crow to lose her cheese?
Answer: She opened her beak to caw after the fox praised her appearance and claimed that she might be the Queen of Birds.
4. What does the fox’s behaviour teach us?
Answer: People may use flattery to manipulate others and get what they want.
5. What literary tradition does this fable belong to?
Answer: It belongs to the Aesopic fable tradition, a body of animal stories and moral narratives traditionally associated with Aesop.
Source
Adapted from “The Fox and the Crow,” a fable traditionally attributed to Aesop, in Aesop’s Fables, translated by George Fyler Townsend and published by George Routledge and Sons in 1867. A related version is available through Lit2Go, University of South Florida.
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