Once upon a time in a sunny morning, a Fox was walking through the forest and spotted a Crow with a piece of cheese in its beak, sitting high up on a branch.
“Ah-ha! Just the meal I was looking for!” thought the cunning Fox.
He walked up to the base of the tree where the Crow was perched, and said, “Good day to you, Madam Crow. How well you are looking to-day! How glossy your feathers! How bright your eye! I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds.”
The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell straight down to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.
“That will do,” said he. “That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future. Do not trust flatterers.”
Beware of flattery; it can lead to your downfall.