Le Corbeau et le Renard

Le Corbeau et Le Renard
–La Fontaine

Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :

“Hé ! bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois.
A ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.

Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit : “Mon bon Monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute :
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute. ”
Le Corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.

===========================
The Crow and the Fox

Master crow, perched in a tree
Had in his beak a large cheese.
Master fox, allured by its scent
Said to him, and this is how it went:

Hey there Mr. Crow!
How lovely you look! How your beauty does show!
Seriously, if your song was ever
As lovely as your feathers
You’d be the Phoenix, King of these Woods!

At these words, the crow felt nothing but good.
So to show off his beautiful song
He opened his beak, and the cheese fell to the ground.
The fox seized the cheese and said, “My good sir…
Know that all flatterers
Prey upon those fooled with ease.
This lesson is, no doubt, worth the price of some cheese.
The Crow, embarassed and ashamed
Swore (a bit late), he’d never be taken in again.