Aesop

The Crow and Mercury

Summary

This story is a fable that teaches a moral lesson about the importance of keeping promises and the consequences of ingratitude. A crow, caught in a snare, beseeches Apollo for help, promising to offer a gift in return for his release. However, upon being freed, the crow neglects to fulfill his vow. When he finds himself trapped again, he makes a similar promise to Mercury, ignoring his previous unfulfilled vow to Apollo. Mercury confronts the crow, questioning his integrity and expressing doubt in his promises since he already broke his word to Apollo. The narrative highlights how broken promises and ingratitude can lead to a loss of trust and credibility.

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A Crow caught in a snare prayed to Apollo to release him, making a vow to offer some frankincense at his shrine. But when rescued from his danger, he forgot his promise. Shortly afterwards, again caught in a snare, he passed by Apollo and made the same promise to offer frankincense to Mercury. Mercury soon appeared and said to him, “O thou most base fellow? how can I believe thee, who hast disowned and wronged thy former patron?”

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