Explore "The Raven Wishing to Imitate the Eagle" by Jean de La Fontaine on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The bird of Jove bore off a mutton, / A raven being witness. / That weaker bird, but equal glutton, / Not doubting of his fitness / To do the same with ease, / And bent his taste to please, / Took round the flock his sweep, / And mark'd among the sheep, / The one of fairest flesh and size, / A real sheep of sacrifice -- / A dainty titbit bestial, / Reserved for mouth celestial. / Our gormand, gloating round, / Cried, 'Sheep, I wonder much / Who could have made you such. / You're far the fattest I have found; / I'll take you for my eating. ' / And on the creature bleating / He settled down. Now, sooth to say, / This sheep would weigh / More than a cheese; / And had a fleece / Much like that matting famous / Which graced the chin of Polyphemus; [1] / So fast it clung to every claw, / It was not easy to withdraw. / The shepherd came, caught, caged, and, to their joy, / Gave croaker to his children for a toy.
[1]: _Polyphemus_. -- The Cyclop king: _vide_ Homer's Odyssey, Book IX.