Truyện Ngụ Ngôn: 58 - Cáo Và Quạ

Cáo Và Quạ

Quạ ngồi chễm chệ trên cành,

Miệng ngậm pho mát ngon lành thơm tho.

Đánh hơi, Cáo mới lần mò,

Đến gốc cây đó tính trò gian manh.

Cáo rằng "Anh Quạ trên cành,

Bộ lông thật đẹp trên mình của anh.

Mượt mà như ánh trăng thanh,

Đẹp sang hơn cả những anh phượng hoàng.

Giọng anh chắc cũng cao sang,

Xin anh hãy cất giọng vàng cho nghe."

Quạ nghe khen, cũng muốn khoe,

Mở rộng mỏ hát, đâu dè mắc mưu.

Phó mát rơi xuống đất rồi,

Cáo vồ ngay lấy nói lời "Cám ơn

Vì anh thích những lời khen,

Nên mới bị mất miếng ngon của mình.

Bài học này nhớ nghe anh,

Một miếng pho mát cho anh nhớ đời."

Quạ nghe xấu hổ nghẹn lời,

Thở than thì cũng trễ rồi còn đâu.

Kẻ tâng bốc sống bằng câu

Những kẻ ưa nghe nịnh biết đâu bị lừa.

Bùi Phạm Thành

Viết theo lời thơ của LaFontaine

(ngày 14 tháng 19 năm 2016)

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The Fox And The Crow

by Aesop

One bright morning as the Fox was following his sharp nose through the wood in search of a bite to eat, he saw a Crow on the limb of a tree overhead. This was by no means the first Crow the Fox had ever seen. What caught his attention this time and made him stop for a second look, was that the lucky Crow held a bit of cheese in her beak.

"No need to search any farther," thought sly Master Fox. "Here is a dainty bite for my breakfast."

Up he trotted to the foot of the tree in which the Crow was sitting, and looking up admiringly, he cried, "Good-morning, beautiful creature!"

The Crow, her head cocked on one side, watched the Fox suspiciously. But she kept her beak tightly closed on the cheese and did not return his greeting.

"What a charming creature she is!" said the Fox. "How her feathers shine! What a beautiful form and what splendid wings! Such a wonderful Bird should have a very lovely voice, since everything else about her is so perfect. Could she sing just one song, I know I should hail her Queen of Birds."

Listening to these flattering words, the Crow forgot all her suspicion, and also her breakfast. She wanted very much to be called Queen of Birds.

So she opened her beak wide to utter her loudest caw, and down fell the cheese straight into the Fox's open mouth.

"Thank you," said Master Fox sweetly, as he walked off. "Though it is cracked, you have a voice sure enough. But where are your wits?"

The flatterer lives at the expense of those who will listen to him.