The Fox and the Crow Story
- Ages 3–6
- English audio 1 min
- Mandarin audio 2 min
The Fox and the Crow is a classic story from Aesop's Fables for Kids, for children aged 3–6. This page has the English story with a native English narration (about 1 min), plus the Chinese version with Mandarin narration (about 2 min). Free to read and listen, no sign-up.
Aesop's fable of a crow with a piece of cheese and a fox whose sweet words make her open her beak. Short, funny and gentle, with native English narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
Tap any sentence in the story to start reading from there. It stops at the end.
A narrator, and a voice of its own for each character: The Fox, The Crow
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Read The Fox and the Crow
A crow found a big piece of cheese on a windowsill. She picked it up in her beak and flew to a high branch to enjoy it.
A fox walked by below. He smelled the cheese and looked up. His mouth watered, but the branch was too high. Then he had an idea.
"Good morning, Miss Crow!" he called sweetly. "Your feathers are so black and shiny, and your eyes are like two little stars." The crow puffed out her chest.
The fox went on, "Everyone says you sing better than the nightingale. But I have never heard you. Please, just one note?"
The crow was so pleased that she opened her beak wide. "Caw!" Down fell the cheese, and the fox caught it. "Lovely voice!" he laughed. "But next time someone praises you, check what is in your beak."
The crow sat still for a moment. Then she said, "Next time, I will finish my cheese before I sing." And she never fell for the fox's trick again.
The Chinese version: 乌鸦和狐狸
一只乌鸦在窗台上捡到一块奶酪，又香又大。她叼着奶酪飞到高高的树枝上，准备慢慢享用。
树下走过一只狐狸。它闻到了奶酪的香味，抬头一看，口水都要流出来了。可是树那么高，它够不着。狐狸眼珠一转，有了主意。
它站在树下，甜甜地说：“乌鸦小姐，早上好！你的羽毛真黑真亮，像绸缎一样。你的眼睛也真亮，像两颗小星星。”乌鸦听了，挺了挺胸脯。
狐狸又说：“大家都说你唱歌最好听，比夜莺还好听呢。可惜我从来没听过。你能不能唱一句，就一句？”
乌鸦高兴极了，张开嘴，大声地唱：“啊——”奶酪掉了下去，狐狸一口接住，叼着就跑。它回头笑着说：“乌鸦小姐，你的歌声真不错。不过下次别人夸你的时候，可要先看看嘴里的东西哦！”
乌鸦愣了一会儿，拍拍翅膀说：“下次再有谁夸我，我一定先把奶酪吃完再唱歌。”从那以后，她再也没有上过狐狸的当。
The Fox and the Crow Story: the moral of the story
When someone piles on the compliments, ask yourself what they want. Kind words are lovely; flattery usually has a plan behind it.
Chinese words in The Fox and the Crow
Play the Chinese narration and listen for these words. The pinyin shows the tones.
乌鸦wū yā
crow
狐狸hú li
fox
奶酪nǎi lào
cheese
树枝shù zhī
branch
羽毛yǔ máo
feather
唱歌chàng gē
to sing
夸kuā
to praise
上当shàng dàng
to be fooled
For families learning Mandarin
Mandarin learning pack
Print the story, read it together, then listen and say it back. Made for heritage families and children learning Mandarin.
- A printable PDF (3 pages): the Chinese story with pinyin over every character, the words to know, the English version, questions to talk about, and character writing practice.
- Slow Mandarin audio (3 min): every sentence at a gentler pace, followed by a pause long enough to say it back.
Buy once, download again any time. The story itself stays free to read and hear. Try the free sample pack (The Tortoise and the Hare) first.
Bedtime storytelling tips
- Make the fox's compliments extra sweet and over the top. Children can tell at once that he is up to something.
- Let your child do the "Caw!" Then you say "Down fell the cheese," which is the best moment of the story.
- Afterwards, ask: "Which of the fox's words were true, and which were just to get the cheese?"
Things to talk about afterwards
- Why did the fox say such nice things to the crow?
- What happened when the crow sang?
- If someone kept praising you and praising you, what would you think?
Read this story to your child in your own voice
- Record your voice and confirm it's really you
- Pick any story, in English or Chinese
- A few minutes later, hear it in your voice; you can also download the MP3
From about $1.05 a story, or $1.99 for a first-order taster. Reading and listening are always free, and failed generations are refunded.
The Fox and the Crow Story: common questions
- What is the moral of The Fox and the Crow?
- Be careful with flattery. The fox praises the crow's feathers and her singing only because he wants the cheese in her beak. A genuine compliment is a lovely thing; flattery usually has a plan behind it.
- Who wrote The Fox and the Crow?
- It is one of Aesop's fables, number 124 in the Perry Index, from ancient Greece around the 6th century BC. The French poet Jean de La Fontaine retold it in verse, and his version is one of the most famous fables in French.
- How is this version of The Fox and the Crow different?
- The plot is the same. We softened the fox's parting remark and added a short ending in which the crow decides to finish her cheese before she sings next time, so the story closes on a smile instead of a sneer.
- Is there a Chinese version of The Fox and the Crow?
- Yes. It is called 乌鸦和狐狸 (wū yā hé hú li), with the crow named first. This page has our Chinese retelling with Mandarin narration next to the English one.
Source and how we retold it
Aesop's fables, number 124 in the Perry Index. Aesop is said to have been a storyteller in ancient Greece around the 6th century BC; the fables were passed on by word of mouth and collected later, and they have long been in the public domain. Jean de La Fontaine's verse version is one of his best known. Our retelling keeps the plot, the fox's flattery, the crow's song and the falling cheese, and uses no existing translation. The fox's parting words are gentler than in the original, and the crow deciding to finish her cheese before she sings next time is our addition for young listeners.
The narration on this page is AI-generated: the English is read by our narrator and the Chinese by our narrator. The audio files are labeled as AI-generated.
If you liked The Fox and the Crow Story, there are more stories in Aesop's Fables for Kids. You can also read this one to your child in your own voice.
More Aesop's Fables for Kids
- Aesop's Fables for KidsAges 3-72 min
The Ant and the Grasshopper蚂蚁和蚱蜢
A grasshopper sings all summer while the ants store wheat. When winter comes, he knocks on their door. Aesop’s fable in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Aesop's Fables for KidsAges 3-72 min
The Tortoise and the Hare龟兔赛跑
A boastful hare naps in the middle of a race, and the slow tortoise keeps going and wins. Aesop’s fable in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version read in Mandarin.
- Aesop's Fables for KidsAges 3-72 min
The Boy Who Cried Wolf狼来了
A bored shepherd boy shouts “Wolf!” twice as a joke. When a real wolf comes, nobody believes him. Aesop’s fable in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Aesop's Fables for KidsAges 3-72 min
The Fox and the Grapes狐狸和葡萄
A hungry fox can’t reach the grapes, so he says they must be sour. The fable behind “sour grapes,” in simple English with narration, plus the Chinese version in Mandarin.
- Aesop's Fables for KidsAges 3-72 min
The North Wind and the Sun北风和太阳
The North Wind and the Sun compete to get a traveler’s coat off. The wind blows hard and fails; the gentle sun wins. Aesop’s fable in simple English and in Chinese, both with narration.
- Aesop's Fables for KidsAges 3-72 min
The Crow and the Pitcher乌鸦喝水
A thirsty crow can’t reach the little water left in a pitcher, so he drops in pebbles one by one until it rises. Aesop’s fable in simple English and in Chinese, both with narration.