One day, a hungry fox was wandering through the countryside, desperately searching for something to eat. Her stomach was empty, and her belly was growling loudly. “Oh, if only I could find a piece of cheese somewhere,” she sighed as she continued to wander through the forest.
Suddenly, a crow circled above her head. It was holding a large piece of cheese in its beak, which it had just taken from the windowsill of a house. It sat down on a thick tree branch and began to enjoy its delicacy. The cheese smelled wonderful, and the fox’s mouth immediately began to water.
She stared at the crow on the branch and knew she had to find a way to get that delicious cheese. But how? She couldn’t climb the tree. However, she was clever and knew that different things work for different people. She would try flattery on the crow.
So the fox sat down under the tree, raised her head, and began to flatter the crow:
“Oh, crow, you are truly the most beautiful of all birds! Your black feathers shine so beautifully, like silk. And that proud posture—you are like the queen of the sky! The only thing I regret is that they say you don’t have a very nice voice…”
The crow liked these words. Her wings grew with pride, but the last remark annoyed her. “What do you mean I don’t have a beautiful voice?” she said indignantly. “I’ll show you how beautifully I can sing!” And without realizing the trap, she opened her beak wide to show off her cawing.
At that moment, the cheese fell out and landed right at the fox’s feet. The fox immediately pounced on it, grabbed it, and ran off with it to his den.
The crow remained sitting on the branch with an empty beak, thinking to herself, “I deserve this. Next time, I won’t be so easily fooled by flattery.”
