Give one reason why the teaching is quite a surprise.
The teaching is quite a surprise because it comes from the Fox, who is the trickster in the story.
The Fox has just deceived the Raven and stolen his food, yet he delivers a wise moral lesson about the dangers of pride. It is unexpected that someone who benefits from another's foolishness would point out the lesson so clearly.
Additionally, the Raven likely did not expect to learn a lesson from losing his food to flattery.
Explanation
The Fox says 'I'm sure this teaching is quite a surprise' in the final stanza. The surprise element works on multiple levels: the Raven is surprised by his loss, surprised that he was tricked, and surprised that his pride led to his downfall. The reader might also be surprised that the 'villain' of the poem delivers the moral. The Fox, despite being cunning, speaks truthfully about the unwise nature of pride.
Solution Steps
The teaching comes from the Fox, who is the trickster in the story
The Fox delivers a wise moral lesson about the dangers of pride despite benefiting from the Raven's foolishness
The Raven did not expect to learn a lesson from losing his food to flattery