458- The Poor Crow and Words of Praise

A hungry fox suddenly smelt the odor of cheese. This sharpened his appetite and he wished to taste it. He looked around searching for the source of the smell. Then he spied a crow perched on a treetop and holding in his beak a piece of cheese. The crow had just picked it up from a farmer’s basket. The farmer had been carrying the basket on his head and he was on his way to the market to sell his cheese.

Having stolen the cheese from the farmer’s basket, the crow had perched himself on one of the branches but he hadn’t started to eat the cheese yet. The fox ran to the foot of the tree while he thought of a way to get part of that delicious cheese. He realized that the crow stood on a branch high above him.

The sly fox said to the crow, “I’m so glad to see you, dear brother Crow. You’ve such a brilliant black color, who else has such a marvelous shinning black plumage? Your yellow beak is like pure gold. Your claws shine as purified silver. I just heard one thing that saddens me, and that is that you’ve an awful voice, and that you fail to sing or chant. Is it possible that in spite of this beauty, you can’t produce a beautiful song? I just can’t believe what I’ve heard!”

Upon hearing these words, the crow opened his mouth and the piece of cheese fell out. The fox ran to pick it up

The crow then said, “O brother Fox, I will sing a song to show you that when I want I can sing. Listen to me and enjoy my song.”

The fox could not wait and hastily said, “What a dumb Crow are you! You believe in words of praise! You really have an awful voice, and you look ugly. The best thing you have is the piece of cheese that you just dropped out of your beak. It’s no longer yours for it’s become mine.”

The Crow learned a lesson he would never forget; and that is never to believe words of praise from anyone.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الغراب المسكين وكلمات المديح.

O Creator of the whole world, You do not ask for glory from your creatures.

O You who are glorified by the heavenly and earthly ones.

Grant me never to seek words of praise from any person

Nor to beg for sweetness from anyone.

You alone can grant me fellowship in heavenly glory.

You alone can quench my depths with Your sincere tenderness.

You are my glory and my honor.

You are my eternal crown.

The Frogs and the Fighting Bulls

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

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