phoenix_sprite
King
a fable by Jean de 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 :
«Et 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.
Perched in a treetop, old Mister Crow
Was holding a cheese in his beak.
Drawn by the stench, Mister Fox, down below,
Peered up, then proceeded to speak.
"Well, hello, fair Sir Crow! Lovely day!
How you dazzle my eyes! How rare your display!
Not to lie, if your voice when you sing
Is as fine as the cut of your wing
I'll know you're the Phoenix reborn in these woods!"
At these words the old crow became giddy with pleasure
And, thinking to prove his voice a treasure,
He opened his big beak-and promptly dropped the goods.
Fox pounced upon his prize and said, "My dear, dear sir,
Learn now that every flatterer
Lives at the cost of those who give him credit.
That lesson's worth a cheese no doubt, so don't forget it!"
The crow, in shame and deep chagrin,
Swore, a bit late, never again to be taken in.
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 :
«Et 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.
Perched in a treetop, old Mister Crow
Was holding a cheese in his beak.
Drawn by the stench, Mister Fox, down below,
Peered up, then proceeded to speak.
"Well, hello, fair Sir Crow! Lovely day!
How you dazzle my eyes! How rare your display!
Not to lie, if your voice when you sing
Is as fine as the cut of your wing
I'll know you're the Phoenix reborn in these woods!"
At these words the old crow became giddy with pleasure
And, thinking to prove his voice a treasure,
He opened his big beak-and promptly dropped the goods.
Fox pounced upon his prize and said, "My dear, dear sir,
Learn now that every flatterer
Lives at the cost of those who give him credit.
That lesson's worth a cheese no doubt, so don't forget it!"
The crow, in shame and deep chagrin,
Swore, a bit late, never again to be taken in.
