God somehow sent the crow a little bit of cheese. The crow had perched upon a fir. She seemed to have steeled down to enjoy her provender¹, But mused² with mouth half-closed, the dainty bit still in it.

 

Unhappily the fox came running past that minute. A whiff of scent³ soon brings him to a pause, And the fox sights the cheese and licks his jaws⁴.

 

The rascal⁵ steals on tip-toe to the tree. He curls his tail, and, gazing earnestly. He speaks so soft, scarce whispering each word:

 

"How beautiful you are, sweet bird! What a neck, and oh! what eyes, Like a dream of Paradise! Then, what feathers! What a beak⁶! And, sure, an angel's voice if only you would speak! Sing, darling; don't be shy! Oh, sister, truth to tell, if you, with charms like these, can sing as well, Of birds you'd be the queen adorable! the silly creature's head turns giddy with his praise. Her breath, for very rapture⁷, swells⁸ her throat; the fox's soft persuasion⁹ she obeys. And high as crow can pitch she caws one piercing note."

 

Down falls the cheese! Both cheese and fox have gone their ways.

 

How often have they told us, please, and always to no use-that flattery's mean and base. The flatterer in our hearts will always find a place.

 

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。

 

奶酪坠地，狐狸衔起它就没影了。

 

对于阿谀奉承的卑鄙和恶劣，我们接受过多少次告诫，然而一切都是徒劳，马屁精总会在我们心里占据一席之地。

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