The Fox and The Crow

The cunning fox uses flattering words to trick a proud crow into dropping its cheese, which the fox then steals.

Once upon a time, in a big forest, there lived a fox and a crow. One day, the crow got a tasty piece of cheese and flew up to the top of a tree to eat it.

The fox, walking by, saw the cheese in the crow's mouth and wanted it for himself. He thought of a plan to trick the crow to get the cheese.

He came up to the tree and started to praise the crow. "My dear crow, you are so pretty, and your feathers shine so much! I have never seen such a beautiful bird before," said the fox.

The crow felt very happy and proud of the kind words and wanted to hear more. The fox said, "I am sure you have a lovely voice too. Could you sing a song for me?"

The crow, full of pride and wanting to show his voice, opened his mouth to sing. When he did, the cheese fell from his mouth and the fox quickly took it.

The fox ate the cheese fast and walked away. The crow was left alone to think about his mistake.

A fox flattering a crow perched in a tree, cheese dangling from its beak

Audio available for B1 version

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Word Finder
  1. Praise

    Saying nice things about someone.
  2. Trick

    Fool someone into doing something.
  3. Feathers

    Soft covering on a bird's body.
  4. Lovely

    Very nice, beautiful.
  5. Pride

    Feeling good about yourself.
  6. Mistake

    Something done wrong.
  7. Tasty

    Delicious, enjoyable to eat.
  8. Crow

    A black bird with a loud voice.
  9. Shine

    Reflect light, sparkle.
  10. Sing

    Make musical sounds with your voice.
Understanding Questions
  1. Where did the crow go to eat the cheese he found?
  2. What did the fox do when he saw the cheese in the crow's mouth?
  3. How did the fox praise the crow to trick him?
  4. What did the crow do when the fox asked him to sing?
  5. What happened to the cheese when the crow opened his mouth to sing?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the fox wanted the cheese that the crow had?
  2. What made the crow drop the cheese, and how do you think the crow felt afterward?
  3. Can you think of a time when someone said nice things to you because they wanted something from you?
  4. What does this story teach us about the dangers of flattery and the importance of not letting pride cloud our judgment?
  5. How can we use the lesson from this story in our daily lives to make sure we don't get tricked by flattering words?
Fable Quotes

Flattery can make you drop your cheese.

Pride paves the path to folly.

Actions have repercussions; one moment of pride can lead to a lifetime of regret.

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