There lived in a forest a crane and a fox. They were good friends. They used to kill small creatures and shared the food together.
One day the crane invited the fox to his house for dinner. The fox did hardly eat anything during the day, because he thought that his friend must have arranged for a good feast. But when the food was served by the crane, the fox found that it was inside a narrow-necked jar, from which the fox could not lick to taste the food. He sat idly there, while the crane sucked it by inserting his long neck and beak.
After the dinner, the crane asked the fox, “Friend, how did you enjoy the dinner?”
The fox suppressed his great anger, and smilingly said, “Oh, it was really a fine dinner!”
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Next day the fox invited the crane to his house for dinner. The crane thought that he was not a fool like his friend. He would eat all the food to be given to him by the fox. He also did not take much food during the day to retain good appetite, and went early in the evening to the fox’s house.
The fox received his friend cordially and offered him soup in a plate. The crane did not know how to eat the soup from a flat plate. The fox licked the soup from his own plate in a moment, while the crane sat idly to watch the fox eating the soup.
After the dinner, the fox asked the crane, “Friend, how did you enjoy the dinner?”
The crane replied, “Oh, it was fine! I really enjoyed it.”
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The crane cursed the sly fox from his heart, as he served him in the same way as he had himself served the fox. The hungry crane had to return home in an angry mood.