The Eagle and Doctor Crow

"My eyes ache!" said the eagle, so he summoned the crow, who was doctor to the birds.
"I'll get you a healing herb," said the crow.
"I'll reward you handsomely," promised the eagle, who believed what the crow told him.
But the crow's medicine did not heal the eagle; instead, it blinded him.
Then the crow came and ate the eagle's chicks.
"I curse you and your wicked medicine!" shouted the eagle.
"As long as you could see, I could never eat your chicks," replied the crow. "But you fell into my trap, and now I have satisfied my desire."


Inspired byMille Fabulae et Una, a collection of Latin fables that I've edited, free to read online. I am not translating the Latin here; instead, I am just telling a 100-word version of the fable.
Notes: This is fable 432 in the book, which is Perry 599; the story comes from Odo of Cheriton. Odo says the crow used spurge to blind the eagle; you can read about the irritating effects of spurge at Wikipedia.



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