Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. 'The Raven, who did not see the joke, Forgot that his voice was just a croak. He opened his beak, in his foolish pride–'
Why did the Raven open his beak?
The Raven opened his beak to sing because he was fooled by the Fox's flattery. The Fox had praised his feathers and suggested that if he sang, he would be called King of the woods. Blinded by pride and wanting to receive more praise, the Raven forgot he could only croak and opened his beak to sing.
Complete the following with one word from the given lines. Fox : clever :: Raven : _____
foolish
Explanation
((i)) The Raven was manipulated by the Fox's clever flattery. The Fox appealed to the Raven's vanity by calling him 'handsome' and suggesting he could be 'King' if he sang. The Raven's pride overcame his judgment, and he opened his beak to sing despite having only a croaking voice. ((ii)) The lines contain the phrase 'in his foolish pride.' The word 'foolish' directly describes the Raven's action. The contrast is clear: the Fox is clever (cunning and manipulative) while the Raven is foolish (easily tricked by flattery).