The Crow and the Fox
Holding a huge piece of cheese in his beak, a crow perched on a high tree branch to enjoy his delicious meal. Catching the scent of the cheese, a cunning fox came under the tree and made a plan to get the cheese from the crow's beak. Looking at the crow with admiration, the fox said "What beautiful feathers you have, if your voice is also beautiful you are the king of birds." Fooled by the fox's sweet praises, the proud crow opened his beak and began to caw loudly to prove his beautiful voice.
As soon as the crow opened his beak, the delicious piece of cheese fell from his beak and rolled right in front of the fox. Instantly snapping up and swallowing the cheese, the fox left saying "You have a beautiful voice but no brains, brother crow." The crow paid for being proud and believing empty praises by losing his delicious cheese to the cunning fox. Those who believe sweet words and false praises of flatterers are doomed to lose what they hold.
Flatterers' words are sweet, their intentions poisonous. False praise is full of traps. The proud is easily fooled. Whoever is tricked by sweet talk loses their cheese.
A flatterer always lives at the expense of the listener. Pride blinds the mind. Excessive fondness for praise brings disaster.