[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE STORK.]
The Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and being disposed to divert
himself at the expense of his guest, provided nothing for the
entertainment but a soup, in a wide shallow dish. This himself could lap
up with a great deal of ease; but the Stork, who could but just dip in
the point of his bill, was not a bit the better all the while: however,
in a few days after, he returned the compliment, and invited the Fox;
but suffered nothing to be brought to table but some minced meat in a
glass jar, the neck of which was so deep, and so narrow, that, though
the Stork with his long bill made a shift to fill his belly, all that
the Fox, who was very hungry, could do, was to lick the brim, as the
Stork slabbered them with his eating. Reynard was heartily vexed at
first; but, when he came to take his leave, owned ingenuously, that he
had been used as he deserved; and that he had no reason to take any
treatment ill, of which himself had set the example.