Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)
104. THE FOX AND THE RAVEN
Perry 124 (Aphthonius
29)
A story about a fox and a raven which urges us not to trust anyone
who is trying to deceive us.
The raven seized a piece of cheese and carried his spoils up to his perch
high in a tree. A fox came up and walked in circles around the raven,
planning a trick. 'What is this?' cried the fox. 'O raven, the elegant
proportions of your body are remarkable, and you have a complexion that
is worthy of the king of the birds! If only you had a voice to match,
then you would be first among the fowl!' The fox said these things to
trick the raven and the raven fell for it: he let out a great squawk and
dropped his cheese. By thus showing off his voice, the raven let go of
his spoils. The fox then grabbed the cheese and said, 'O raven, you do
have a voice, but no brains to go with it!'
If you follow your enemies' advice, you will get hurt.
Note: Horace alludes to this fable in Epistles,
1.17.50f. For a similar story about the flattering fox but with a quite
different outcome, see Fable 148.
 Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.
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