Explore "The Cock and the Fox" by Jean de La Fontaine on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Upon a tree there mounted guard / A veteran cock, adroit and cunning; / When to the roots a fox up running, / Spoke thus, in tones of kind regard: -- / 'Our quarrel, brother, 's at an end; / Henceforth I hope to live your friend; / For peace now reigns / Throughout the animal domains. / I bear the news: -- come down, I pray, / And give me the embrace fraternal; / And please, my brother, don't delay. / So much the tidings do concern all, / That I must spread them far to-day. / Now you and yours can take your walks / Without a fear or thought of hawks. / And should you clash with them or others, / In us you'll find the best of brothers; -- / For which you may, this joyful night, / Your merry bonfires light. / But, first, let's seal the bliss / With one fraternal kiss. ' / 'Good friend,' the cock replied, 'upon my word, / A better thing I never heard; / And doubly I rejoice / To hear it from your voice; / And, really there must be something in it, / For yonder come two greyhounds, which I flatter / Myself are couriers on this very matter. / They come so fast, they'll be here in a minute. / I'll down, and all of us will seal the blessing / With general kissing and caressing. ' / 'Adieu,' said fox; 'my errand's pressing; / I'll hurry on my way, / And we'll rejoice some other day. ' / So off the fellow scamper'd, quick and light, / To gain the fox-holes of a neighbouring height, / Less happy in his stratagem than flight. / The cock laugh'd sweetly in his sleeve; -- / 'Tis doubly sweet deceiver to deceive.[1]
[1]: Aesop.