Once in a lush green forest, there lived a clever fox and a hungry crow. The fox was known for his cunning ways, while the crow was always on the lookout for food. One sunny day, the crow spotted a piece of delicious cheese lying on the ground. Its mouth watered at the sight of it. However, the cheese was placed on a high branch of a tree, just out of the crow's reach. The fox, noticing the crow's dilemma, approached with a sly smile on his face.

"Hello, dear crow," said the fox, "I couldn't help but notice that you seem troubled. What seems to be the matter?"

The crow, tempted by the fox's friendly tone, replied, "Oh, Mr. Fox, I have spotted a piece of cheese on that branch, but it's too high for me to reach."

The fox, pretending to be helpful, said, "Don't worry, my friend. I have an idea. Why don't you sing a beautiful song? Your voice is so melodious that it will surely attract the attention of the other animals. They will applaud and cheer for you."

The crow, flattered by the fox's words, decided to give it a try. It opened its beak and let out a loud caw. As soon as it did, the piece of cheese fell from the branch and landed right in front of the fox.

The fox quickly grabbed the cheese and said, "Thank you, dear crow, for your wonderful performance. Now, I shall enjoy this delicious cheese all by myself."

The crow, realizing its mistake, felt foolish. It had been tricked by the clever fox. From that day on, the crow learned to be cautious and not to trust everyone it met.

Moral of the story: Do not trust flattery from strangers, for they may have ulterior motives.