FABLE XXXII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Crow found big cheese. It was a sunny morning. She took it from a house window. She held it tight in her beak. The cheese smelled very good. She was very happy.
Crow flew up high. She went to a tall, strong tree. The tree was very tall. Its branches were thick. She sat on a branch. She still held the cheese. She wanted to eat it there safely. It was a safe place.
Fox walked by. He was a red fox. He saw Crow in the tall tree. He saw the yellow cheese. Fox was hungry. He wanted the cheese. Fox sat down under the tree. He looked up at Crow. He thought of a clever plan. It was a tricky plan.
Fox spoke to Crow. "Crow, you are so pretty!" he said. "Your feathers are so nice. They are white and soft. Your body has a good shape. No other bird is like you. You look very, very good, my dear. You are a lovely bird."
Fox said more words. He was very clever. "Is your voice pretty too?" he asked. "Can you sing a nice song? Please sing for me. Your song must be very, very good. I want to hear it now, please. Sing a sweet song."
Crow felt very happy. Fox said many nice words. She felt proud. She wanted to sing for him. She wanted to show her good voice. She forgot the cheese. She opened her mouth wide. She was ready to sing.
The cheese fell down. It dropped from her mouth. It tumbled through the air. It went to the green ground. It made a small sound. It hit the ground. Plop! The cheese was on the ground.
Fox was very, very fast. He moved like a flash. He caught the cheese quickly. He took it in his mouth. He was very pleased. He had the cheese now.
Fox walked away. He had the cheese. He was very happy. He smiled a big smile. Crow was very sad. She had no cheese now. Her plan was gone. She felt very foolish. She looked down sadly.
It is not good to believe all nice words. Be careful when someone praises you too much.
Original Story
FABLE XXXII.
THE FOX AND THE CROW.
A Crow, having taken a piece of cheese out of a cottage window, flew up with it into a high tree in order to eat it; which the Fox observing, came and sat underneath, and began to compliment the Crow upon the subject of her beauty. "I protest," says he, "I never observed it before, but your feathers are of a more delicate white than any that ever I saw in my life! Ah! what a fine shape and graceful turn of body is there! And I make no question but you have a tolerable voice. If it is but as fine as your complexion, I do not know a bird that can pretend to stand in competition with you." The Crow foolishly believed all that the Fox said was true; but, thinking the Fox a little dubious as to her vocal powers, and having a mind to set him right in that matter, opened her mouth, and, in the same instant, let the cheese drop out of her mouth. This being what the Fox wanted, he caught it up in a moment, and trotted away, laughing to himself at the easy credulity of the Crow.
MORAL.
When anyone is flattered as possessing qualities he ought to feel conscious he does not possess, let him beware lest the flatterers wish either to deprive him of some solid good, or to make him appear ridiculous in the eyes of others.
THE FOX AND THE CROW
Story DNA
Moral
When anyone is flattered as possessing qualities he ought to feel conscious he does not possess, let him beware lest the flatterers wish either to deprive him of some solid good, or to make him appear ridiculous in the eyes of others.
Plot Summary
A Crow takes a piece of cheese and flies to a high tree. A Fox, seeing the cheese, approaches and begins to flatter the Crow, praising her beauty and then subtly questioning her singing voice. The vain Crow, eager to prove her vocal prowess, opens her mouth to sing, causing the cheese to fall. The Fox quickly snatches the cheese and trots away, leaving the foolish Crow to regret her credulity.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to foolishness
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This fable is a classic example of an Aesopic fable, which are short stories with animal characters that convey a moral lesson, originating in ancient Greece.
Plot Beats (9)
- A Crow takes a piece of cheese from a cottage window.
- The Crow flies to a high tree to eat her cheese.
- A Fox sees the Crow with the cheese and sits beneath the tree.
- The Fox begins to flatter the Crow, praising her delicate white feathers and graceful shape.
- The Fox then expresses doubt about the Crow's voice, suggesting it must be as fine as her appearance.
- The Crow, believing the flattery and wanting to prove her voice, opens her mouth to sing.
- The cheese drops from the Crow's mouth.
- The Fox quickly catches the cheese.
- The Fox trots away, laughing at the Crow's credulity.
Characters
The Fox
A sleek, medium-sized fox with a lean, agile build. His fur is a vibrant reddish-orange, particularly dense around his neck and tail. He has a long, bushy tail tipped with white, and slender legs built for quick movements.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To acquire food, specifically the cheese held by the Crow.
Flaw: His deceitful nature, which, while effective in this instance, could lead to distrust in other situations.
Remains unchanged, successfully executing his cunning plan and reinforcing his nature.
Cunning, manipulative, opportunistic, and intelligent. He uses flattery as a tool to achieve his goals.
The Crow
A large, robust crow with glossy, iridescent black feathers that shimmer with hints of blue and purple in the light. She has strong wings and sturdy legs, typical of a scavenger bird.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To eat the piece of cheese she acquired and to prove her vocal abilities when challenged.
Flaw: Her extreme vanity and gullibility, which lead directly to her loss.
Learns a harsh lesson about the dangers of flattery and vanity, losing her prize in the process.
Vain, credulous, easily flattered, and somewhat foolish. She values external praise over common sense.
Locations
Cottage Window
A window of a small, rustic cottage, likely made of rough-hewn timber and perhaps with small, leaded glass panes, from which a piece of cheese was taken.
Mood: Ordinary, domestic, a source of sustenance
The crow procures the cheese, initiating the main conflict.
High Tree
A tall, mature tree with a strong, visible canopy and sturdy branches, high enough for a crow to feel secure while eating. The ground beneath is where the fox waits.
Mood: Initially safe and elevated, then becomes a place of vulnerability and trickery.
The crow perches here with the cheese, and the fox executes his plan, leading to the climax.