The Raven and the Fox: NCERT Class 6 English Poem (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20265 min read

Everyone likes to hear nice things about themselves, but what if the praise is a trick? In this short, funny poem by Jean de La Fontaine, a clever fox uses sweet words to get what he wants. Students enjoy the rhymes, the twist and the lesson about pride.

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From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 6, unit “Fables and Folk Tales”. Unit 1.

What your child learns

New words from the poem: perched, limb, morsel, seek, pride, eyed
Rhyming words in each stanza (limb, him; word, bird)
Alliteration: words close together that begin with the same sound
Opposite words, such as pride and humility, forgot and remembered

What the poem is about

Mr Raven sits on a branch of a tree with a tasty piece of food in his beak. Below him, Reynard the Fox wants that food badly. So the Fox starts praising the Raven: he calls him handsome, admires his feathers and says that if the Raven would only sing, all the birds of the woods would make him their king.

The Raven does not see that the Fox is making fun of him. Full of pride, he forgets that his voice is only a croak and opens his beak to sing. The food drops straight down to the Fox. The Fox laughs and gives the Raven a lesson: do not listen to sweet words that make you feel too good about yourself, because pride is not wise. The poem is a fable, a short story that teaches a lesson.

New words, with Hindi meanings

perched: sitting on a branch or a high, narrow place, like a bird (हिंदी: बैठा हुआ)
limb: a big branch of a tree (हिंदी: डाल)
morsel: a small piece of food (हिंदी: निवाला, टुकड़ा)
seek: to look for something (हिंदी: ढूँढना)
admiring: showing that you like and praise someone (हिंदी: तारीफ़ भरा)
handsome: good-looking (हिंदी: सुंदर)
croak: a rough, low sound made by a raven or a frog (हिंदी: काँव-काँव, कर्कश आवाज़)
pride: the feeling that you are better than others (हिंदी: घमंड)
eyed: looked at something with interest, wanting it (हिंदी: नज़र गड़ाई)
glow: to shine; here, to feel very pleased with yourself (हिंदी: चमकना, फूल जाना)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Where was the Raven, and what did he have in his beak?
How did the Fox try to get the food?
Why did the food fall down?
What lesson did the Fox give the Raven?
Has anyone ever praised you too much? How did you feel, and what did you do?

Answers for parents

The Raven was sitting on a branch of a tree. He had a piece of food in his beak.
The Fox praised the Raven. He called him handsome, admired his feathers and asked him to sing, saying the birds would make him king.
The Raven felt proud and opened his beak to sing, so the food dropped down to the Fox.
He said that we should not trust sweet words that make us feel too pleased, and that pride is not wise.
For example: My cousin kept saying I was the best cricketer and asked me to give him my new bat. I felt happy, but I thought first and said no politely.

Grammar corner: Alliteration

Alliteration is when two or more words close together begin with the same consonant sound. It makes a line fun to say and easy to remember. Poets use it to make their lines sound musical.

The foolish fox found a fat fig.
Six small sparrows sat silently on the wall.
The busy bird built a big nest.

Practice at home

Find the alliteration: The proud parrot picked a pink flower. Which words begin with the same sound?
Write the opposite: forgot → ___, foolish → ___, pride → ___
Make a sentence using the word 'morsel'.

Answers: 1. proud, parrot, picked, pink (all begin with /p/) · 2. remembered, wise, humility · 3. Sample answer: The little puppy ate every morsel of its food.

Try this

Make two simple paper-bag or stick puppets, one raven and one fox, and act out the poem. One person plays the Fox and says sweet words; the other plays the Raven and can only nod and act, because his beak is full. Then swap roles and try a new ending where the Raven is too clever to be tricked.

Tip for parents

Ask your child to tell you the story in Hindi first, like a Panchatantra tale: कौआ, लोमड़ी, मीठी बातें, घमंड. Then ask them to say the same thing in English, one sentence at a time; mixing words from both languages is fine at the start. Praise every try, and talk together about a time someone's sweet words tried to make one of you do something.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of The Raven and the Fox?

Do not be fooled by sweet words and praise, and do not let pride make you act foolishly. The Fox says that pride is unwise.

Who are the characters in The Raven and the Fox?

There are two characters: Mr Raven, a bird sitting on a branch with food in his beak, and Reynard, a clever fox who tricks him.

Is The Raven and the Fox in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 2 of NCERT's new Poorvi book for Class 6, in Unit 1, Fables and Folk Tales. The poem is by Jean de La Fontaine.

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Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 6 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

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