NOTE
Sixteen of these Twenty Fables have been handed down to us in a Greek form: for these Halm's text has been used. As to the other four – Number IX. is from Phaedrus, and retains a flavour of artificiality; Numbers XIII. and XX. are from Latin versions; and Number X. is from a French one.
The Translations aim at replacing the florid style of our older English versions, and the stilted harshness of more modern ones, by a plainness and terseness more nearly like the character of the originals.
In the following cases the Translations have been adapted to the Designs. In Number I. cheese has been put for meat; in Number VIII. a pack of Hounds for a Lion; in Number XI. a Stork for a Crane; in Number XIX. a Frog for a Toad; and in Number VII. the Dog should be tied up. The reason of this is, that in the collaboration the Designer and Translator have not been on terms of equal authority; the former has stood unshakeably by English tradition, and has had his own way.
A.C.
THE FOX AND THE CROW
A Crow stole a piece of cheese and alighted with it on a tree. A Fox watched her, and wishing to get hold of the cheese stood underneath and began to make compliments upon her size and beauty; he went so far as to say that she had the best of claims to be made Queen of the Birds, and doubtless it would have been done if she had only had a voice. The Crow, anxious to prove to him that she did possess a voice, began to caw vigorously, of course dropping the cheese. The Fox pounced upon it and carried it off, remarking as he went away, "My good friend Crow, you have every good quality: now try to get some common sense."