A hungry fox uses flattery to trick a proud crow into singing -- and steals the cheese she's holding in her beak. A classic Aesop's fable about flattery and vanity.
It was a bright morning in the forest. Sunbeams glittered through the leaves, birds sang, and a gentle breeze made the day perfect. High up in a big tree sat the crow, proud and pleased, with a delicious piece of cheese in her beak. She had found it earlier that morning, outside a farm, and was determined to enjoy it in peace.
Down on the ground, the fox wandered through the forest. He had searched for food all morning without luck and was hungry. Suddenly, his nose caught an irresistible scent. When he looked up, he spotted the crow with the cheese.
"What a lucky day!" thought the fox, licking his lips. "But how am I going to get that cheese?"
The Fox Makes a Plan
The fox, known as the cleverest animal in the forest, began to think it over. He knew he couldn't climb the tree to take the cheese by force. Instead, he decided to use flattery.
He positioned himself under the tree and called up to the crow:
"Good morning, dear crow! I have never seen a bird as beautiful as you. Your feathers glitter like the sun, and your eyes are like jewels."
The crow, who had never heard such lovely words before, straightened up on the branch. She felt both proud and curious. She looked down at the fox and asked:
"What do you want, fox?"
"I only wish to admire you," the fox answered, in a voice sweeter than honey.
"I've always heard that your voice is as beautiful as your looks. Might I be so lucky as to hear you sing?"
The Flattery Works
The crow, flattered by the lovely words, began to consider the request.
"Should I show him how wonderful my voice is?" she thought.
"Everyone in the forest should hear how beautifully I sing."
She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and opened her beak to sing. But the moment she did, the cheese fell right off the branch. It landed in front of the fox, who quickly snatched it up.
"Thank you so much for the gift, dear crow," said the fox with a wide grin.
"You have a wonderful voice, but the cheese tastes even better."
Before the crow could react, the fox ran off with the cheese in his mouth.
A Valuable Lesson
The crow sat alone on the branch, embarrassed and sad.
"How could I have been so foolish?" she muttered to herself.
"I let myself be fooled by empty words and lost something valuable."
She sat quietly for the rest of the day, thinking about what had happened. At last she made up her mind:
"Never again will I let flattery make me forget my good sense."
Even though she had lost the cheese, she had learned an important lesson.
The fox, for his part, was pleased with his own cunning and enjoyed the cheese. But he knew the crow wouldn't be so easy to fool next time.
The Moral -- What Does the Story Teach Us?
Don't be blinded by flattery, for not everyone who praises you has good intentions.
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