The Fox and the Crow
A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. ‘That’s for me, as I am a Fox,’ said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. ‘Good-day, Mistress Crow,’ he cried. ‘How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.’ The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. ‘That will do,’ said he. ‘That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future .’Do not trust flatterers.
一次，一個狐狸看到一隻烏鴉嘴裏銜着一塊奶酪飛過並停在了樹枝上。“那是給我的，因爲我是一隻狐狸。”狐狸說道，然後便走到樹腳邊。“早安，烏鴉女主人,”他哭着說“你今天看上去很好，你的羽毛很有光澤，你的眼睛也閃着光芒，我相信你的歌喉一定比其他鳥兒都好，就像你的羽毛一樣;請讓我聆聽你的歌聲，僅僅一首，也許我會把你尊爲鳥中之後。”烏鴉聽了很高興，於是就開始展現自己最棒的一面，但是正當她張開嘴，那塊奶酪就落到了地上，沒想到竟被狐狸搶走了。“行了,”他說道“那是我想要的。那就用這奶酪交換一條對你未來的建議吧。”不要相信奉承者。
不要輕易相信一個人所說的話。世界上沒有什麼比直言不諱更難，也沒有什麼比阿諛奉承更容易的了。直言不諱，即使其中只有百分之一的音調是假的，那麼立刻就會產生不和諧，隨之而來的是爭吵。而阿諛奉承，即使從頭至尾全部音調都是虛假的，可還是讓人高興，聽着不會覺得不愉快，哪怕這愉快有點兒肉麻，可還是感到愉快。而且不管阿諛奉承多麼肉麻，其中卻至少有一半讓人覺得好像是真實的。
