A Crow stole a piece of cheese one day, and
flew with it up into a tree, so as to eat it at
her leisure.
As she sat there, holding it in her beak,
a
Fox chanced to pass by, and, looking up, saw
her. "How good that cheese smells," thought
he; "I'll have it, sure as I'm a Fox.'
Coming close to the tree,
he said, "Dear
Madam, what a beautiful creature you are! I
was not aware till his
moment what rare
beauty your family possesses.
What eyes!
What glossy feathers! What grace of form!
Is your voice as charming to hear, as your
person is to look upon?
If it is, you well
deserve to be called the Queen
of Birds. Will
you not do me the favor to sing to me?"
Now it is well known that the Caw!
Caw!
of the Crow family is not musical.
She ought
to have been on her guard, but so delighted
was she with the flattery of the Fox that
she
forgot to be wary. She opened
her mouth to
show the Fox the sweetness
of her voice,
when---down fell the bit of cheese, which
was
exactly what was expected.
The Fox ate it at one mouthful,
then stop-
ped to say, "Thank you, madam. I am quite
satisfied. Your voice is well
enough, I have
no doubt. What a pity it is you are
so sadly
wanting in wit!"
Be on your guard when people flatter you.
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