The Raven and the Fox
by Jean De La Fontaine (Roots)
The Poem :
"Mr Raven was perched upon a limb,
And Reynard the Fox looked up at him;
For the Raven held in his great big beak
A morsel the Fox would go far to seek.
Said the Fox, in admiring tones: "My word!
Sir Raven, you are a handsome bird.
Such feathers! If you would only sing,
The birds of these woods would call you King."
The Raven, who did not see the joke,
Forgot that his voice was just a croak.
He opened his beak, in his foolish pride -
And down hell the morsel the Fox had spied.
"A-ha!" said the Fox. "And now you see
You should not listen to flattery.
Vanity, Sir is a horrid vice-
I'm sure the lesson is worth the price."
Summary of the Poem :
The Raven sat upon a branch holding a small piece of food in his great beak. Beneath the tree there was Reynard the Fox standing. The Fox was looking at the piece of food and wished to have it.
The Fox started to flatter the Raven in an admiring tone. He said that the Raven is a handsome bird with such beautiful feathers. If the Raven sings, the birds of the woods would consider him the King of them.
The Raven did not understand the trick of the Fox. He took his words as truth. He forgot that he had a harsh voice too bad to sing. He got boasted by the words of the Fox and opened his beak to sing. The piece of food fell down and the Fox took it.
Now the Fox taught the Raven a lesson. He told him not to listen to flattery. Vanity is a horrid vice. This incident must taught the Raven a valuable lesson.
Comprehension
1. Why was the Fox looking up at the Raven?
a. because he wanted to listen to the Raven's song. [ ]
b. because the Raven was very colourful. [ ]
c. because the Raven had food. [✓]
2. What did the Fox think about the Raven?
a. The Raven did not listen to flattery. [ ]
b. The Raven was foolish. [✓]
c. The Raven was the king of birds. [ ]
3. Do you think the Fox should have asked the Raven to share food with him? Give reasons.
= Yes, I think the Fox should have asked the Raven to share food with him. He should have been friend with the Raven and told him that he is hungry. He needed food. The Raven must have given him share of his food. The Reynard cheated the Raven. Cheating is not a good thing.
4. Do you like Reynard the Fox? Give reasons.
= I like Reynard the Fox as he taught the Raven a good lesson. He taught the Raven not to listen to any type of flattery. Never to boast for personal abilities. Vanity is a horrid vice.
On the other hand, I do not like the way Reynard the Fox cheated the Raven. He could have returned the piece of food to the Raven. But he did not do so. Cheating is much more bigger vice than vanity.
5. What would you have done if you were the Raven? Why?
= If I were the Raven, I would have kept the morsel beside me on the other side of the branch of the tree beyond the reach of Reynard the Fox. Then I would have told the Fox to leave the place as I wouldn't come to his words.
I know what I am. I am a Raven with black feathers. I am a worse looking bird. I have a coarse voice. So it is impossible for me to be handsome or to be considered as the King by the other birds of the woods.