THE FOX and THE RAVEN
by Unknown · from Jewish fairy stories
Adapted Version
A raven finds some cheese. It is yellow cheese. He is very happy. He flies to a big tree. He sits on a high branch. He wants to eat the cheese now.
A fox sees the raven. He sees the cheese in the raven's beak. The fox wants the cheese very much. It looks so good. But the fox cannot climb the tree. He is on the ground. He thinks of a trick. He will use his words.
The fox looks up. He says, "Hello, friend Raven! You are so pretty! Your feathers are so black and shiny!" The raven looks down. He listens.
The fox says more. "Sing for me! Your song is sweet. You can be king of all birds!" The raven feels proud. He puffs up his chest. He feels very important. He is the prettiest bird. He will be king!
The raven opens his mouth to sing. He wants to sing a sweet song. But he makes a croak sound. "Caw!" That is his song.
The cheese falls down. It falls from his beak. It falls to the ground near the fox.
The fox takes the cheese quickly. He is very happy. He has the cheese.
The fox says, "Thank you! Pride is bad." He leaves with the cheese. He runs away.
The raven is sad. He has no cheese. He learned a lesson. Do not trust sweet words. Sweet words can be tricks.
Original Story
THE FOX AND THE RAVEN
“GOOD DAY, DEAR FRIEND RAVEN.”
The Fox and the Raven
One fine day a raven found a nice piece of fresh cheese, which he carried away to a favourite resting place on the leafy branch of a beautiful fig-tree. Believing himself to be out of harm’s way, he was about to eat and enjoy his booty, when he heard a well-known voice softly calling to him,—
“Good day, dear friend Raven.”
Whence did the voice come? Lo and behold, at the foot of the fig-tree stood Master Fox, eyeing with a greedy look the raven and the cheese. How to obtain the latter was the thought uppermost in the mind of the crafty fox.
Being unable to climb the tree, he resolved to trick the raven so as to make him drop the cheese. Again Master Fox cried,—
“Good day, dear friend Raven, thou art verily the most beautiful of birds. If all the winged creatures beneath the heavens were gathered around thee, thou wouldst easily excel them all by reason of thy lovely feathers. Moreover, if thou wouldst only sing then would thy song surpass the sweetest melody of any other of thy winged companions and thou wouldst become King of the birds.”
The sweet words sank deeply into the raven’s heart and he rejoiced at the prospect of attaining to such undreamt-of greatness. All that he had to do was merely to sing.
Excited with joy and pride he quickly opened his mouth and raising his voice, he tried to sing. Alas! he only croaked; meanwhile the cheese fell from his mouth to the ground. The greedy fox pounced upon the prey and with a joyful cry he said,—
“Dear friend Raven, never again will I listen to the voice of other sweet singers after hearing thy beautiful voice. Pray excuse me, if I hasten away to finish the cheese thou hast so generously given me as a reward for my flattery. Great indeed must be the power of pride since it overcomes the desires of thy appetite.”
(The XIIIth Fable in R. Berachyah’s Fox Fables.)
Printed for Robert Scott, Publisher, Paternoster Row, London, by Butler & Tanner, Frome.
Story DNA
Moral
Beware of flattery, for it often hides ulterior motives and can lead to your downfall.
Plot Summary
A raven finds a piece of cheese and perches on a tree branch. A cunning fox, seeing the cheese, devises a plan to trick the raven. The fox showers the raven with excessive compliments, praising its beauty and suggesting its song would make it king of the birds. Swollen with pride, the raven opens its mouth to sing, causing the cheese to fall. The fox seizes the cheese and departs, leaving the foolish raven to realize its mistake.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to foolishness
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables like this one have ancient roots, often used to teach ethical principles through simple narratives featuring anthropomorphic animals.
Plot Beats (10)
- A raven finds a piece of fresh cheese and flies to a fig-tree branch to eat it.
- A fox appears at the foot of the tree, eyeing the cheese greedily.
- The fox, unable to climb, decides to trick the raven into dropping the cheese.
- The fox begins to flatter the raven, calling it the most beautiful of birds.
- The fox continues, suggesting that if the raven sang, its song would be the sweetest and make it King of the birds.
- The raven is deeply moved and filled with joy and pride at the prospect of such greatness.
- Excited by the flattery, the raven opens its mouth to sing, letting out only a croak.
- The cheese falls from the raven's mouth to the ground.
- The fox pounces on the cheese.
- The fox thanks the raven for the 'generous gift' and remarks on the power of pride before leaving with the cheese.
Characters
The Fox
A sleek, medium-sized fox with a lithe and agile build, indicative of a hunter. His fur is a rich, fiery reddish-brown, with a lighter cream or white belly and chest. He has slender legs and a bushy tail, tipped with white.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural fur coat is his attire.
Wants: To obtain the cheese from the Raven through any means necessary, primarily through trickery.
Flaw: His greed, which drives his elaborate schemes.
He successfully executes his plan, reinforcing his nature as a cunning trickster.
Crafty, manipulative, greedy, intelligent, flattering.
The Raven
A large, robust raven with glossy, iridescent black feathers that shimmer with hints of blue and purple in the light. He has a strong, thick beak and powerful talons, suitable for carrying objects and perching.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural plumage is his attire.
Wants: Initially, to enjoy his piece of cheese. Later, to achieve the 'greatness' promised by the Fox and become 'King of the birds' through his singing.
Flaw: His immense pride and vanity, which makes him susceptible to flattery.
He starts as a content bird with a prize, but his vanity leads him to lose his prize and learn a harsh lesson about pride.
Proud, vain, easily flattered, somewhat naive, initially content.
Locations
Fig-tree's Leafy Branch
A sturdy, leafy branch of a beautiful fig-tree, high above the ground, providing a secluded resting place. The leaves are dense and green, offering concealment and shade.
Mood: initially peaceful and secure, then tense and vulnerable
The raven finds a safe spot to enjoy his cheese, and later drops it from here.
Foot of the Fig-tree
The base of the beautiful fig-tree, where the crafty fox stands, looking up. The ground is likely covered with fallen leaves or sparse undergrowth typical of a Mediterranean climate.
Mood: scheming, expectant, predatory
The fox devises and executes his plan to trick the raven, and later pounces on the fallen cheese.