7 HE FOX IN FABLE 



175 



crow that came down. Now there are just two 



touches of truth here : one fact is the surprise of the 



person who saw this, the second that the fox only 



caught one crow, for these shrewd birds would 



certainly take warning from the first mishap. After 



all, the old story of the fox, the crow, and the bit of 



cheese is just as good and quite as true a way of 



accounting for a fact which the fabulists had observed, 



that there is a great enmity between foxes and crows. 



Who has not seen the crows and magpies swoop 



and chatter at a fox nearly at the end of his powers, 



after a long chase ? Is it that two of a trade — both 



arrant thieves — cannot agree, or that the crows foresee 



the fox's end, and a possible meal for themselves ? 



At all events the fox's character is of the worst, and 



Buffon draws a lively account of the fox listening to 



the crowing of the cocks and hens, and forming his 



plans accordingly. Probably, not being a foxhunter, 



that great writer exaggerated the iniquities of the 



fox. Somervile, too, shows that the fox in his time 



had not had his misdeeds condoned for the pleasure 



he gave : 



From his kennel sneaks 



The conscious villain, see he skulks along 



Sleek at the shepherd's cost, and plump with meals 



purloined. 

 So thrive the wicked here below. 



