Flattery Will Get You Nowhere.

We are reading Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Crow".

In case you're not familiar with this one, here it is:

A crow was sitting on a branch with a piece of cheese in her beak when a fox observed her and set his wits to work to discover some way of getting the cheese.  Coming and standing under the tree he looked up and said, 'What a noble bird I see above me!  Her beauty is without equal, the hue of her plumage is exquisite.  If only her voice is as sweet as her looks are fair, she ought without doubt to be the queen of the birds!'  The crow was hugely flattered by this, and just to show the fox that she could sing she gave a loud caw.  Down came the cheese, of course, and the fox, snatching it up, said, 'You have a voice, madam, I see: but what you want is wits.'

Me:  "So, Neve, what can we learn from this story?"

(silence + blank stare)

Me: "Neve?"

Neve, finally: "Not to drop your cheese?"

Me: "Yeah, pretty much.  Fiona, anything else to add?"

Fiona: "Uhhh, that foxes are bad?  No, not bad.  Just mean."

Me:  "What was mean about what the fox said?  It sounded nice."

Fiona: "He told her to sing only because he wanted her cheese, not because he thought she had a pretty voice."

Me: "Exactly.  And do you know what that's called?  The thing he was doing with the 'beautiful feathers' and 'queen of the birds'?

They shake their heads.

Me: "Flattery."

Neve and Fiona, in unison: "Flattery."

Me: "And can you give me and example of 'flattery'?  Flatter me, for example."

Neve: "But don't you need cheese in your mouth first?"

Fiona dives right into this opportunity: "Yeah, Mom... you look BEAUTIFUL today.  Your hair is so... pretty... in that bun.  And your ears are so small on the side of your head.  (begins laughing)  And your little brown eyes are so round.  (laughing more)  And your teeth are... shiny.  No, really do you have something in between your teeth?"

Neve, also laughing: "Fiona, she'd never drop her cheese if she was a crow."

I asked for it.