first parabasis

Question 1

king: let’s go, i’m confused already.

Answer 1

comrades, please listen. Hear me out before we start. These guys don’t seem to have our best interest at heart. I’m not sure they are who they purport.

Question 2

chorus: did you not hear them pledge their love and support?

Answer 2

I heard all their words but I doubt their propriety.

Question 3

chorus: why didn’t you vocalize this blatant anxiety?

Answer 3

I was daydreaming about how wonderful it is to be a bird! To me, handing over our root juice is just absurd.

Question 4

chorus: i need their help if I want to succeed. They need to become birds for us to proceed.

Answer 4

I worry these intimations could be our bane. It just felt, to me, like they were yanking our chain.

Question 5

… yanking our chain.

Answer 5

I do recall a fable that warns of this though, Remember that old ditty, “The fox and the Crow?”

Question 6

chorus: Ah, Aesop! I appear in so many of his tales. How does that one go? I can’t remember the details.

Answer 6

Upon finding a piece of cheese on the ground, the crow-

Question 7

chorus: on the ground?! where was he, though

Answer 7

Oh, in the forest or the wood?

Question 8

chorus: cheese?! in a crow’s neighborhood?

Answer 8

Dropped by the cheesemonger, on his way to work. Will you let me tell the story and not be such a jerk?

Question 9

chorus: sorry

Answer 9

Anyway- upon finding the cheese, in the forest, or the woods the crow says, “look at me! I’ve got the goods!

Question 10

…I’ve got the goods!

Answer 10

I shall have cheese for dinner tonight.” and the crow took the cheese in its beak and took flight.

Question 11

…and took flight.

Answer 11

To a high up branch in a high up tree Where no other jealous crows could see.

Question 12

chorus: splendid!

Answer 12

A moment later a fox came walking past the tree. and muttered under his breath, to himself, with glee:

Question 13

… to himself, with glee:

Answer 13

“If I’m crafty and play my cards right, I shall be having cheese for dinner tonight!”

Question 14

(fox:) …I shall be having cheese for dinner tonight!”

Answer 14

the Fox looked up to the crow and called: “Evening Crow! You know, frankly I’m appalled.

Question 15

… frankly I’m appalled.

Answer 15

No one else has your fine and preened features certainly no bird, nor any other woodland creatures.

Question 16

…nor any other woodland creatures.

Answer 16

so why did no one tell me of your preeminence? of your beauty, your charm, your radiance?

Question 17

…your radiance?

Answer 17

My travel’s been lonesome and my journey long I wonder if you wouldn’t mind singing me a sweet song?

Question 18

…sweet song?

Answer 18

The crow was so stunned by the sweet talking not once did he think the fox was mocking.

Question 19

…was mocking.

Answer 19

He opened his beak and began to sing and just as he did the cheese fell out of that thing.

Question 20

… out of that thing.

Answer 20

the fox was waiting below with jaws agape and he snapped up the cheese like a plump lil grape.

Question 21

… plump lil grape

Answer 21

he savored his prize- one piece did suffice and left the crow with a piece of advice:

Question 22

…piece of advice:

Answer 22

“next time you hear someone starting to flatter you better watch out, because something’s the matter.”

Question 23

chorus: and…

Answer 23

you must not have heard my words…