Still no answer, but the crow held up her head and turned it first to one side and then to the other, showing that she was pleased.
"What a graceful neck and bright eye!" said the fox. "The other birds may well be jealous of you."
No answer yet. She only raised her wings a little and gazed down upon the fox.
"If your voice were only as beautiful as your form and your dress, you would be queen of all the birds; but it seems that you can not talk at all. What a pity that you are dumb!"
The crow gave a loud "caw!" As she did so, the meat fell from her mouth. The fox snapped it up quickly.
Poor crow, she saw when too late that the fox was only fooling her.
THE VAIN CROW
"I hate a black dress, no matter how glossy," said a proud crow. "I have made up my mind to be a peacock."
As he said this, he flew away to a barnyard where he found some feathers which the peacock had shed. He picked these up with his bill and placed them among his own feathers.