The Raven and the Fox by Jean de La Fontaine

Sir Raven sits on a lofty oak holding a lunch of cheese. Sir Fox smells the cheese and flatters Raven, praising his black, glossy coat and claiming that, if his voice matches his appearance, he would be fit to be the Phoenix of the age. Delighted by the praise, Raven tries to display the music of his croak, dropping the cheese. Fox seizes it and explains that flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them, a lesson worth the cheese. Raven, too late, vows never again to be cheated by the rogue.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Literature, Animal Tale · 242 words

First lines

Perch'd on a lofty oak, / Sir Raven held a lunch of cheese; / Sir Fox, who smelt it in the breeze, / Thus to the holder spoke: -- / 'Ha! how do you do, Sir Raven? / Well, your coat, sir, is a brave one! / So black and glossy, on my word, sir, / With voice to match, you were a bird, sir, / Well fit to be the Phoenix of these days. ' / Sir Raven, overset with praise, / Must show how musical his croak. / Down fell the luncheon from the oak; / Which snatching up, Sir Fox thus spoke: -- / 'The flatterer, my good sir, / Aye liveth on his listener; / Which lesson, if you please, / Is doubtless worth the cheese. ' / A bit too late, Sir Raven swore / The rogue should never cheat him more.[1]

• Open reader

Similar titles

• The Grasshopper And The Ant by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Two Mules by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Bear The Monkey And The Hog by Tomas De Iriarte
• The Frog That Wished To Be As Big As The Ox by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Crow And The Turkey by Tomas De Iriarte
• The Eagle And The Fox by Esopo

Genres

• Fable — The poem uses talking animals in a brief allegorical story and ends with an explicit moral lesson about the dangers of flattery.
• Didactic Literature — Its central purpose is instructional: it warns readers that flatterers exploit vanity and that praise should be received cautiously.
• Animal Tale — The principal characters are a raven and a fox, portrayed with human speech, motives, and social behavior.
• Allegory — The animals represent recognizable human types: the vain victim of praise and the cunning manipulator who profits from deception.

Tags

fable · verse narrative · French literature · seventeenth century · moral lesson · flattery · deception · gullibility · vanity · pride · cunning · fox

What this Textopian page supports

The Raven and the Fox is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Fable
• Author: Jean de La Fontaine
• Date: 1668 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fable, Didactic Literature, Animal Tale, Allegory, Verse Narrative
• Length: 242 words
• Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Raven and the Fox by Jean de La Fontaine
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

More by Jean de La Fontaine

• To Monseigneur the Dauphin (1668)
• The Grasshopper and the Ant (1668)
• The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox (1668)
• The Two Mules (1668)
• The Wolf and the Dog (1668)
• The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion (1668)
• The Wallet (1668)
• The Swallow and the Little Birds (1668)
• All works by Jean de La Fontaine