The fox strolled toward the rooster, being carefull not to frighten him away. "Oh, what a beautiful bird you are!" he said. "I know your father. Come closer so we can talk."
The rooster came down from the wall, keeping a safe distance from the fox. The fox went on, "As I said, I know your father. He has a good voice, too. Why don't you sing for me?"
The rooster was flattered, for he was proud of his voice. "Oh, I can sing even better than my father, " he said. "I can sing better than any rooster in the world." He puffed himself up, threw back his head, closed his eyes, and began singing, or crowing, with all his might. The fox made a great leap, caught the rooster, and ran away with him.
As the fox ran down the road with the rooster dangling from his mouth, some dogs began to chace them. The rooster saw that the fox's life was in danger. "Tell them I don't belong to their village, " he called out. "Say you caught me in another village."
The fox decided that this was a clever ideia. Without thinking twice, he opened his mouth to speak to the dogs. Out fell the rooster. Squawking and flapping, the rooster flew up into a tree.
As the fox dashed away he muttered, "If you open your mouth at the wrong time, you will get into trouble."
From his perch in the tree the rooster replied, "Yes, and if you close your eyes at the wrong time, you will get into trouble, too."
Retold by Marilyn Bolchunos
In Highlights: Fun with a purpose
