The Aesop for Children by Milo Winter
The Fox and the Crow
One bright morning as the
Fox was following his sharp nose
through the wood in search of a
bite to eat, he saw a Crow on the
limb of a tree overhead. This
was by no means the first Crow
the Fox had ever seen. What
caught his attention this time
and made him stop for a second
look, was that the lucky Crow
held a bit of cheese in her beak.
"No need to search any
farther," thought sly Master
Fox. "Here is a dainty bite
for my breakfast."
Up he trotted to the foot of
the tree in which the Crow was
sitting, and looking up admiringly,
he cried, "Good-morning,
beautiful creature!"
![[Illustration]](http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/gold/books/winter/aesop/winter_aesop_zpage101.gif)
The Crow, her head cocked
on one side, watched the Fox
suspiciously. But she kept her
beak tightly closed on the cheese
and did not return his greeting.
"What a charming creature
she is!" said the Fox. "How her
feathers shine! What a beautiful form and what splendid
wings! Such a wonderful Bird
should have a very lovely voice,
since everything else about her
is so perfect. Could she sing
just one song, I know I should
hail her Queen of Birds."
Listening to these flattering
words, the Crow forgot all her suspicion, and also her breakfast.
She wanted very much to be
called Queen of Birds.
So she opened her beak wide
to utter her loudest caw, and
down fell the cheese straight into
the Fox's open mouth.
"Thank you," said Master
Fox sweetly, as he walked off.
"Though it is cracked, you have
a voice sure enough. But where
are your wits?"
The flatterer lives at the
expense of those who will listen to him. | 
