The Fox and the Crow

On a lush, green hillside, there lived a clever little fox. Every day, he roamed the forest in search of food, his mind always filled with cunning tricks.

One day, as the fox wandered deep into the woods, he suddenly heard the flapping of wings above him. Looking up, he spotted a crow perched high on a tree branch, holding a large piece of meat in her beak. She was about to fly back to her nest to share it with her chicks.

The moment the fox saw the meat, his eyes lit up, and his stomach growled with hunger. That meat looks absolutely delicious! I must find a way to get it, he thought.

With a sly grin, the fox walked to the base of the tree and called out, “Dear Crow, your feathers are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen! So glossy and dark, they shimmer like the stars in the night sky.”

The crow, pleased by the compliment, fluttered her wings slightly. However, she kept a firm grip on the meat, unwilling to let it go.

Seeing this, the fox quickly came up with another trick. “I’ve also heard,” he continued, “that your voice is the most beautiful in the entire forest. I wonder if I could be lucky enough to hear you sing a song?”

Hearing this, the crow felt even prouder. If the fox admires me so much, I must sing for him! she thought.

So, she opened her beak to sing—

And the piece of meat tumbled down, landing right at the fox’s feet!

In a flash, the fox grabbed the meat and gobbled it up.

The crow finally realized she had been tricked. Furious, she stomped her feet and squawked, “You sly fox! You tricked me!”

Licking the last bit of meat from his lips, the fox chuckled, “Dear Crow, you were too naive. Remember, next time, don’t trust sweet words so easily.”

With that, the fox trotted away, leaving behind an angry and regretful crow.

As she flew back to her nest, the crow made a silent promise to herself: Never again will I fall for flattery.