The Crow and the Clever Compliment

A crow found a small square of cheese beside a picnic basket. He carried it to a broad oak branch, where he could enjoy his breakfast in peace.

An orange fox passed below the oak. She sniffed the warm air, spotted the cheese, and stopped. The crow was far above her paws and comfortably beyond reach.

The fox sat down as though she had come only for conversation. She praised the crow's glossy feathers and bright eyes, keeping her own gaze carefully on the cheese.

The crow lifted his head a little. He liked hearing that his feathers shone beautifully. He shifted his feet on the branch, still holding the cheese tightly in his beak.

Surely a bird so handsome must have a wonderful voice, the fox suggested. Would he sing just one note? The quiet woodland seemed to wait for his reply.

The crow forgot his breakfast for a moment. He opened his beak to make a grand caw. Down tumbled the cheese, past the leaves and toward the waiting fox.

The fox caught the cheese and stepped away from the trunk. Her compliments stopped at once. The crow stared at his empty beak, then at the breakfast below.

Now the crow understood why the fox had wanted a song. Her lovely words had helped her get something. They had not been a promise of friendship.

The crow gave a small ordinary caw, because he enjoyed cawing, and watched the fox disappear. Next time, he could finish chewing before answering even the sweetest praise.

He flew toward the meadow to find another breakfast. His feathers still shone in the sunlight. He could appreciate a kind word and also think about the speaker's purpose.