One morning a plain black crow sat on a branch holding in her beak a piece of cheese. Along came a fox, who had smelled the cheese. The fox came and stood under the tree,saying politely to the crow, "Good morning, my friend. My, how well you are looking today!" The crow was very pleased at this, but of course could not reply because of the cheese she held in her mouth.
"Your eyes are the most beautiful I have seen," the fox went on, "and you feathers-how black and glossy they are." The crow was even more please, but still said nothing. She just say on her branch and swelled with pride.
"I have been told," he continued, " how beautifully you sing, and I should like so much to hear you! Your voice could not possibly be so lovely as your feathers, but if it were, why, you would be the most wonderful bird in the world! Do sing just a few notes for me, won't you?" This was too much for the crow. She opened her beak wide, cawed loudly and dropped the cheese right into the mouth of the waiting fox.
"Thank you so much!" said the fox, eating the cheese. "Your song was very ugly, but your cheese was delicious. Perhaps next time you won't be so ready to believe everything you hear." With that, the fox laughed and trotted off into the woods.
Review of "The Fox and the Crow"
"The Fox and the Crow" is a fable attributed to Aesop. Having only one illustration which covered most of the page, this story was extremely short. As is often with such well known anecdotes, animal characters who display human traits are pictured in clothing and with human accouterments. Not surprisingly, this one page tale was found in a book of over fifty of Aesop's Fables from the local library. The publisher is Grady Books.
Typically, the only characters in this story are the Fox and the Crow. In a tree, the Crow sits while holding a piece of cheese in her mouth. Hungrily the Fox below coverts her cheese. She is silent. Although congenial in attitude, the Fox shows a sugary and slightly sinister tone in his voice. This story could take place anytime almost anywhere.
With flattery, the fox plays upon the vanity of the crow. Although the crow cannot respond to his well-planned remarks because of the cheese in her mouth, the fox, by initially praising her feathers, subsequently praising her eyes and ultimately praising her voice, finally coaxing her to sing. She is vain. As she can bear it no longer, she opens her mouth and emits a loud "caw" as the cheese drops to the waiting fox.
The conclusion occurs when the crow drops the cheese and the fox gobbles it up. Cruelly he laughs. Running off into the woods and chastising the crow for her vanity, he barks out the moral of the story, "maybe next time you won't be so ready to believe everything you hear." Although it is not described, one can imagine the chagrin of the crow at having been duped, and the perverse glee of the fox at having been successful in his ploy.
Mainly intended to parody our human weaknesses, fables such as these often teach a lesson, which if heeded, may save us some discomfort or misfortune in the future. Portraying the criminal type, the fox will stoop to any depth of deception to achieve material satisfaction. Conversely, the crow demonstrates the ultimate in self-absorbed foolish ignorance. By becoming aware of these extremes in human character, we may possible avoid being taken advantage of, or perhaps, learn how to deceive and defraud others more foolish than ourselves. This story teaches that there is a little Fox and the Crow in each of us.
