The Fox and the Crow

Once upon a time, in a forest full of tall oak trees, there lived a shiny black crow who loved flying from branch to branch, always on the lookout for something tasty to eat.

One morning, passing by a little country house, he spotted something yellow gleaming on a windowsill: a big piece of cheese, forgotten there by a careless housewife. The crow didn’t think twice — he grabbed it with his beak and flew off, delighted, until he landed on a high branch of a great tree, far from prying eyes.

He thought, puffing up his feathers with satisfaction:

“Finally, I can eat in peace.”

But right at that moment, down below the tree, a red-furred fox with clever eyes happened to pass by. Her keen nose caught the scent of the cheese at once, and looking up, she saw the crow perched with his treasure in his beak.

Thought the fox, licking her whiskers:

“Oh, how hungry I am. But that crow is much too high up for me to reach by jumping. I’ll have to use my wits instead.”

She sat right at the foot of the tree, looked up at the crow, and said in the sweetest voice she could manage:

“Good morning, magnificent crow! I have never seen feathers so black and glossy — they look as if they were woven from starry night. And what an elegant, almost regal posture you have!”

The crow, who was not used to receiving compliments, puffed himself up even more with pride, but kept his beak firmly shut: he certainly wasn’t going to drop his precious cheese.

Seeing that the first attempt wasn’t quite enough, the fox continued:

“The only thing I wonder is whether your voice is as beautiful as your looks. I have heard that crows have the most wonderful song in the whole forest, but you must prove it to me. Please, sing for me, just one note!”

At those words, the crow could no longer resist the temptation to show off his talent. He puffed out his chest, opened his beak wide, and let out a loud “CAWWW!” as proudly as he could.

But at that very instant, the cheese slipped from his beak and fell down, down, down, landing right between the paws of the fox, who was waiting there, ready to snatch it.

Said the fox, laughing, as she grabbed the cheese:

“Thank you very much for the gift, dear crow. And remember: not everyone who showers you with compliments does it out of friendship.”

With that, she scampered off into the bushes, leaving the crow alone, without his cheese and without any more desire to sing.

The crow stayed on his branch for a long while, silent, thinking over what had happened. From that day on, he learned a valuable lesson: always think carefully before believing someone who fills you with sweet compliments, especially if just moments before they were looking at you with hungry eyes.