"Howbeautifulyouare,sweetbird!Whataneck,andoh!whateyes,Likea dreamofParadise!Then,whatfeathers!Whatabeak6!And,sure,anangel's voiceifonlyyouwouldspeak!Sing,darling;don'tbeshy!Oh,sister,truthto tell,ifyou,withcharmslikethese,cansingaswell,Ofbirdsyou'dbethe queenadorable!thesillycreature'sheadturnsgiddywithhispraise.Her breath,forveryrapture7,swells8herthroat;thefox'ssoftpersuasion9she obeys.Andhighascrowcanpitchshecawsonepiercingnote."

Downfallsthecheese!Bothcheeseandfoxhavegonetheirways.

Howoftenhavetheytoldus,please,andalwaystonouse-thatflattery's meanandbase.Theflattererinourheartswillalwaysfindaplace.

上帝不知何故赏给了乌鸦一小块奶酪。于是,乌鸦高高地躲在枞树的树梢,似乎要安顿下来开始享用美味。但是嘴里含着那一小块奶酪,心里还要思量一番。

可是倒霉得很,一只狐狸从旁边经过,奶酪的飘香让狐狸止住了奔跑。狐狸看着奶酪,舔舔嘴。

这狡猾的东西踮起脚尖偷偷走近枞树。它卷起尾巴,目不转睛地瞅着,非常柔和的说话了,几乎每个字都是窃窃私语:

“心肝宝贝,你长得多么美妙啊!瞧那脖子,瞧那眼睛,美的像个天堂的梦!多好的羽毛,多好的嘴巴,你一开口,一定会有天使的声音,唱吧!亲爱的,别害羞! 啊!小妹妹, 说实话,你这么美丽迷人,要是再唱得悦耳动听,那你就是令人拜倒的鸟中皇后了!”那蠢鸟被赞美地晕头转向,高兴地都要透不过气来。它听从了狐狸的柔声劝诱,尽其所能提高了嗓门,发出了呱呱的叫声。