Flattery Is a Dangerous Curse

In a lush green forest lived many animals. The lion of the forest was old and wise, and because of him all the animals lived peaceful lives. The animals shared friendliness and mutual respect, and whenever they were free, they would sit together and chat.

The fox and the wolf had been friends since childhood. Whenever they met, they talked at length. One day, they met on the path and the wolf said:

“Hey fox, hunting has become scarce in the forest. Humans have hunted so much that they have inflicted great cruelty on us animals. Look at me—I am starving. There is not a single sheep in sight. Even around the forest, sheep have become rare. I am desperate for food and cannot find prey anywhere…”

“What do you mean, there is no prey?” the fox replied. “If one has intelligence, there is plenty of prey.”

“Oh fox,” the wolf said, “animals have become very clever now. They are so fearful that they hide as soon as they see humans, and when they see us, they scatter in all directions.

Now even TV cable has made them smart—they give missed calls to warn each other. Twitter, Wi-Fi, and Facebook are also within the animals’ reach.”

“Alright, come with me. Let me try something,” said the fox.

She took the wolf along toward the river. There they saw ducks and other animals swimming in the water, splashing and playing. The fox hid the wolf in the bushes and walked toward the ducks.

Smiling sweetly, the fox said to a duck,

“How are you, my friend?”

“I am fine, fox. What brings you here today? I’ve heard many tales of your cleverness. By the way, where is your friend the wolf?” the duck asked.

“He is sitting in the bushes and says he doesn’t believe me,” the fox replied cunningly.

“Doesn’t believe what?” the duck asked in surprise.

“Oh, forget it, my friend,” said the fox. “He’s a wolf—what does he know?”

“But why is he hiding in the bushes?” the duck asked curiously.

“He says that duck feathers are very hard,” the fox explained. “He claims that if a pillow were made from them, no one could sleep on it. But I say your feathers are soft and beautiful, and a pillow made from them would be wonderfully comfortable.”

“That wolf is wrong!” the duck said proudly, lifting its head from the water. “My feathers are truly soft and delicate.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I told him,” the fox said. “But he refuses to believe it. He insists that duck feathers aren’t as soft as people think.”

The fox then turned to leave.

“Tell him that my feathers are the softest of all!” the duck shouted loudly, diving into the water and resurfacing a short distance away, shaking its feathers.

“I’ll tell him about your feathers,” said the fox, turning back. “Why don’t you give me one feather so he can touch it himself and be convinced?”

“Alright,” said the duck. “I’ll give you a few feathers from my tail.”

As the duck approached the fox to offer its soft feathers, the fox suddenly grabbed it and devoured it in just a few bites. She then sat comfortably, making a pillow from the duck’s soft and delicate feathers.

The wolf watched all this in amazement.

The fox said proudly,

“See? You can always find prey here—one just needs to use intelligence. Do you understand now?”

Hearing this, the wolf came out of the bushes, smeared his body with mud and dirt, and moved toward the river. As he washed himself in the water, he began talking to a duck:

“My friend the fox says…”

“What does she say?” the duck asked curiously.

“She says that duck feathers are very hard.”

Soon, the fox heard frantic flapping sounds and immediately realized that her friend had used the same trick.

Indeed, flattery is a dangerous curse.