At the top of the wide forest trees lived a white dove and a black crow, each on a branch of the branches. They were accustomed to quarreling always from morning to evening, because the crow bird believed he was more beautiful than the dove, but the dove knew she was more beautiful than him, so their friendship couldn’t last more than an hour, and the dispute would return again.
One morning, a fox who was very hungry passed under the tree, searching for food to eat for lunch. When he heard the quarreling of the two birds, he stopped and listened to them, then looked at them and said: Good morning, you two wonderful birds. What is the cause of your dispute? The crow said to him: The dove claims she is more beautiful than me. The dove said to him: The fierce crow thinks he is more beautiful than me. The fox smiled at them with a smile carrying cunning behind it and said: My two friends, if you wish, you can have me judge between you, for I am an expert in beauty, and I have no objection to helping you.
The dove said: Yes, speak the truth and judge between us. Then the crow said: Come, judge which of us is more beautiful. Then the fox said: I hope to be fair in my judgment and allow me to take some feathers from each of you so I can examine them well, then issue my judgment. The two birds descended to the ground, and the fox began removing feathers from the body of each of them little by little until they became completely naked of feathers. Each of them looked at the other in amazement.
Then the fox said to them: You two fools. I have deceived you and mocked you. I am more beautiful than both of you, and you will be my lunch today. The two birds were afraid and tried to fly away from the fox, but they were without feathers. The fox pounced on them and ate them.
From the stories of Kalila and Dimna, tales throughout time.