Poem The Raven and the Fox
Mr Raven was perched upon a limb,
And Reynard the Fox looked up at him;
For the Raven held in his great big beak,
A morsel the Fox would go far to seek.
Said the Fox, in admiring tones: “My word!
Sir Raven, you are a handsome bird.
Such feathers! If you would only sing,
The birds of these woods would call you King.”
The Raven, who did not see the joke,
Forgot that his voice was just a croak.
He opened his beak, in his foolish pride–
And down fell the morsel the Fox had eyed.
“Ha-ha!” laughed the Fox. “And now you know,
Ignore sweet words that make you glow.
Pride, my friend, is rather unwise;
I’m sure this teaching is quite a surprise.”
-by Jean de La Fontaine
Let us discuss The Raven and the Fox
- Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct option.
(a) Stanza 1
(i) Mr Raven is a bird. (bird/frog)
(ii) The name of the fox is Reynard. (Raven/Reynard)
(iii) Mr Raven had a piece of food in his beak. (a piece of food/a bunch of leaves)
(b) Stanza 2
(i) The Fox calls the Raven a good-looking bird. (foolish/good-looking)
(ii) The Fox asks the Raven to sing. (dance/sing)
(iii) The Raven and the Fox live in the woods. (trees/woods)
(c) Stanza 3
(i) The Raven forgot that he croaked. (remembered/forgot)
(ii) The Raven opened its beak to sing. (eat/sing)
(iii) The food fell down. (food/Raven)
(d) Stanza 4
(i) The Fox laughed at the Raven. (laughed/looked)
(ii) It is not wise to be too proud of oneself. (wise/unwise)
(iii) The Raven learnt a lesson. (lesson/teaching)
2. Read the poem again and match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B. Check your answers with your teacher and your classmates.
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. perched | (a) a small piece of food |
| 2. morsel | (b) looked with interest at something |
| 3. seek | (c) feeling that you are better than others |
| 4. pride | (d) sat on a branch |
| 5. eyed | (e) to look for something |
| 6. limb | (f) a smaller area of forest with similar kind of trees |
| 7. woods | (g) branch of a tree |
Answer:
- perched – (d) sat on a branch
- morsel – (a) a small piece of food
- seek – (e) to look for something
- pride – (c) feeling that you are better than others
- eyed – (b) looked with interest at something
- limb – (g) branch of a tree
- woods – (f) a smaller area of forest with similar kind of trees
Let Us Think and Reflect
2. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.
(a) Sir Raven, you are a handsome bird. Such feathers! If you would only sing, The birds of these woods would call you King.
(i) ‘Such feathers’ refer to _____________ feathers.
a. shiny and beautiful
b. black and dull
c. grey and long
d. short and unattractive
Answer: (a) shiny and beautiful
(ii) Why would the birds of the woods call the Raven ‘King’?
Answer: The birds would call the Raven ‘King’ if he could sing beautifully. The Fox flatters the Raven, suggesting that his good looks and feathers, combined with a melodious voice, would make him superior to other birds.
(iii) Why does the Fox address the Raven as ‘Sir’?
Answer: The Fox addresses the Raven as ‘Sir’ to flatter him and make him feel respected and important, so that the Raven lets his guard down and falls for the Fox’s trick.
(b) The Raven, who did not see the joke, Forgot that his voice was just a croak. He opened his beak, in his foolish pride–
(i) Why did the Raven open his beak?
Answer: The Raven opened his beak because he wanted to sing and prove his ability, falling for the Fox’s flattery. He was blinded by pride and forgot that his voice was not melodious.
(ii) Complete the following with one word from the given lines.
Fox : clever : : Raven : ___________
Answer: foolish
3. Why does the Raven forget that his voice is just a croak?
Answer: The Raven forgets that his voice is just a croak because he is overwhelmed by the Fox’s flattering words. His pride blinds him, and he wants to show off and gain admiration from the other birds.
4. How does Reynard make the Raven sing?
Answer: Reynard makes the Raven sing by praising his appearance and suggesting that if he could sing as well, the other birds would make him their King. This flattery fills the Raven with pride, causing him to sing and drop the morsel of food.
5. Why does Reynard say that pride is not wise?
Answer: Reynard says that pride is not wise because it can make people act foolishly. The Raven’s pride led him to open his beak and sing, forgetting about the food he was holding, which allowed the Fox to take advantage of the situation.
6. Give one reason why the teaching is quite a surprise.
Answer: The teaching is quite a surprise because the Raven did not realize that his pride could lead to his downfall. He thought he was being praised for his looks, but the Fox was only manipulating him to get what he wanted.
7. Imagine someone praises you too much. How would you react?
Answer: If someone praises me too much, I would be cautious and reflect on whether their compliments are genuine or if they have an ulterior motive. I would remain humble and not let excessive flattery affect my judgment.
Let Us Learn
Write the rhyming words from the poem. One has been done for you.
Stanza 1
(a) limb-him
(b)beak-seek
Stanza 2
(a) word-bird
(b) sing-king
Stanza 3
(a) joke-croak
(b) pride-eyed
Stanza 4
(a) know-glow
(b) unwise-surprise
- Study the underlined words in the poem.
(a) For the Raven held in his great big beak.
The words ‘big’ and ‘beak’ begin with the same /b/ sound.
(b) The song of sweet birds.
Alliteration is a repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. When two or more words together, begin with the same sound, it is called alliteration.
Now, pick another example of alliteration from Stanza 2.
Answer:
Such feathers! If you would only sing,
The birds of these woods would call you King.
3. Choose the correct opposites from the box given below and complete the table. There are two extra words that you will not need.
Box:
- wise
- happy
- humility
- flew
- remembered
- notice
- dim
- cried
- silly
| Words | Opposites |
|---|---|
| 1. perched | flew |
| 2. forgot | remembered |
| 3. foolish | wise |
| 4. pride | humility |
| 5. laughed | cried |
| 6. ignore | notice |
| 7. glow | dim |
Use any four words from the table above to make sentences of your own.
- The bird perched on the tree but soon flew away.
- I had forgotten my homework, but then I remembered it just in time.
- A wise person makes thoughtful decisions, while a foolish one acts without thinking.
- Showing humility is more important than acting with pride.
Let Us Speak
Narrate the poem in the form of a story. Give a different ending to the story. You may begin like this:
This is a story about a clever fox named Reynard and Mr. Raven. One day….
ANSWER:
This is a story about a clever fox named Reynard and Mr. Raven. One day, Mr. Raven was perched high up on a tree branch, holding a tasty morsel of food in his beak. Reynard, who was feeling quite hungry, noticed the Raven and decided to trick him into dropping the food.
Reynard looked up and called out to Mr. Raven, “Oh, Sir Raven, you are such a handsome bird! Look at your shiny feathers! You must be the most beautiful bird in the entire forest. If only you could sing, the birds of these woods would surely call you their King!”
Mr. Raven, flattered by these words, puffed out his chest with pride. He had always believed his feathers were impressive, but now he thought he could prove his greatness. In his foolishness, Mr. Raven forgot that his voice was not pleasant, and he decided to sing to show off his talents. As soon as he opened his beak, the morsel of food fell to the ground. Reynard quickly grabbed it and ran off, laughing at how easily he had fooled the proud bird.
But here’s where the story takes a different turn. As Reynard raced away, he tripped over a root and dropped the food. Mr. Raven, swooping down swiftly, snatched the morsel back in his beak. He flew to an even higher branch this time, out of Reynard’s reach.
The Raven, having learned his lesson, called down to the Fox, “Your flattery might work on some, but not on me anymore. I may not sing, but I am no fool!”
From that day onward, Mr. Raven was no longer swayed by compliments, and Reynard had to find his meals elsewhere, knowing that his tricks wouldn’t work on the wise Raven again. The birds of the forest, impressed by the Raven’s cleverness, still respected him — not for his voice, but for his newfound wisdom.
And so, in the end, the clever Fox was outwitted, and the proud Raven learned the value of humility and caution.
Let Us Write The Raven and the Fox
Now, write the story you narrated in the form of a conversation.
(Remember to write only the actions for the Raven as he has food in his mouth and does not speak.)
You may begin like this.
Reynard: Good morning, Mr Raven! You seem to be awake so early!
(Mr Raven just nods his head)
Reynard: Oh, Mr Raven, you look …
ANSWER:
Reynard: Good morning, Mr. Raven! You seem to be awake so early!
(Mr. Raven just nods his head)
Reynard: Oh, Mr. Raven, you look absolutely splendid today! Your feathers are so shiny and beautiful. Truly, I have never seen a bird as handsome as you!
(Mr. Raven puffs out his chest proudly and flaps his wings a little)
Reynard: I must say, those feathers could belong to the King of all birds! If only you had a voice as magnificent as your looks, the birds of these woods would surely make you their King.
(Mr. Raven tilts his head, looking intrigued, still holding the food in his beak)
Reynard: Just imagine, Sir Raven! If you could sing a little tune, all the birds would bow before you. Surely, someone as grand as you has a voice to match! Would you care to sing for me, oh mighty one?
(Mr. Raven, forgetting about the food in his beak, opens his mouth to sing. The morsel drops to the ground, and Reynard quickly snatches it up.)
Reynard (laughing): Ah-ha! Thank you, Sir Raven, for such a generous gift! You see, pride, my friend, can sometimes make one act quite foolishly. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll enjoy this meal.
(Reynard turns to leave but trips over a root, and the food slips from his paws.)
(Mr. Raven swoops down, grabs the food, and flies to a higher branch.)
Reynard (surprised): Well, well! It seems I’ve been outwitted this time. Perhaps I was too hasty in thinking you were all pride and no brains!
(Mr. Raven gives Reynard a sharp look and flies even higher.)
Reynard (grinning): Very well, Sir Raven. It seems you’ve learned your lesson, and I’ve learned mine! I won’t be tricking you again. Enjoy your meal, my friend.
(Mr. Raven perches securely, nodding his head as if to say, “I certainly will.”)