Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
THE CROW AND THE FOX | FRENCH POEM | KIDS' POEMS AND STORIES WITH MICHAEL ROSEN
These poems, story and interview make great starting points for English or French lessons.
Find Michael Rosen merch here - bit.ly/2UumE6N
Safely browse more videos on the Michael Rosen channel - bit.ly/2YkZnFt
Check out Michael's website michaelrosen.co.uk
for news, updates, and fun, as well as great homeschooling UK storytime resources and ideas like these.
The Michael Rosen Reading for Pleasure book - amzn.to/2WkkUxb
00:00 The Crow and The Fox
01:40 The Babysitter
06:00 The Outside Toilet
14:12 Cherry Berry
24:25 How to write Jeopardy with Francesca Simon
These poems and stories could make great starting points for English lessons for kids or TEFL classes
For example:
Why not share this clip - learn about technology
Discuss performance poetry - what does it make you think?
Look at other Michael Rosen poems - which ones do you like, why?
How does Michael's work compare and contrast with another poet?
Teachers or Homeschoolers - work with your kids to create your own performance piece for selected poems.
Pupils could create their own story poems about favourite foods, strict teachers or a Bear Hunt.
Listen to Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry books, explain how to set stories of your own.
OR
Use this as a inspiration to start you're own independent research on Michael Rosen poetry and children's literature.
Transcript of the poem -
Le Corbeau Et Le Renard De Jean De La Fontaine
Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
«Hé ! bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois.»
A ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit : «Mon bon Monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute :
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute.»
Le Corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.
English Translation – The Crow And The Fox By Jean De La Fontaine
Master Crow perched on a tree,
Was holding a cheese in his beak.
Master Fox attracted by the smell
Said something like this:
“Well, Hello Mister Crow!
How pretty you are! How beautiful you seem to me!
I’m not lying, if your voice
Is like your plumage,
You are the phoenix of all the inhabitants of these woods.”
At these words, the Crow is overjoyed.
And in order to show off his beautiful voice,
He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall
The Fox grabs it, and says: “My good man,
Learn that every flatterer
Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him.
This lesson, without doubt, is well worth a cheese.”
The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed,
Swore, but a little late, that he would not be taken again.
Who is Michael Rosen?
My first book for children was called Mind Your Own Business and it came out in 1974. Quentin Blake did wonderful line drawings for it.
Ever since then, I’ve been doing these things:
Writing books
Writing articles for newspapers and magazines
Going to schools, libraries and theatres and performing the poems in my books
Helping children write poems and stories
Making radio programmes, mostly about words, language or books
Appearing on TV, either reading books, or talking about books
Teaching at universities about children’s literature
Running workshops for teachers about poetry
and now - beatboxing
In any week, I might be doing all of these things! To tell the truth, I don’t really know what I’m doing tomorrow, unless I look in my diary to see.
#MichaelRosen
#KidsTV
#HomeschoolingUK
THE CROW AND THE FOX | FRENCH POEM | KIDS' POEMS AND STORIES WITH MICHAEL ROSEN
These poems, story and interview make great starting points for English or French lessons.
Find Michael Rosen merch here - bit.ly/2UumE6N
Safely browse more videos on the Michael Rosen channel - bit.ly/2YkZnFt
Check out Michael's website michaelrosen.co.uk
for news, updates, and fun, as well as great homeschooling UK storytime resources and ideas like these.
The Michael Rosen Reading for Pleasure book - amzn.to/2WkkUxb
00:00 The Crow and The Fox
01:40 The Babysitter
06:00 The Outside Toilet
14:12 Cherry Berry
24:25 How to write Jeopardy with Francesca Simon
These poems and stories could make great starting points for English lessons for kids or TEFL classes
For example:
Why not share this clip - learn about technology
Discuss performance poetry - what does it make you think?
Look at other Michael Rosen poems - which ones do you like, why?
How does Michael's work compare and contrast with another poet?
Teachers or Homeschoolers - work with your kids to create your own performance piece for selected poems.
Pupils could create their own story poems about favourite foods, strict teachers or a Bear Hunt.
Listen to Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry books, explain how to set stories of your own.
OR
Use this as a inspiration to start you're own independent research on Michael Rosen poetry and children's literature.
Transcript of the poem -
Le Corbeau Et Le Renard De Jean De La Fontaine
Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
«Hé ! bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois.»
A ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit : «Mon bon Monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute :
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute.»
Le Corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.
English Translation – The Crow And The Fox By Jean De La Fontaine
Master Crow perched on a tree,
Was holding a cheese in his beak.
Master Fox attracted by the smell
Said something like this:
“Well, Hello Mister Crow!
How pretty you are! How beautiful you seem to me!
I’m not lying, if your voice
Is like your plumage,
You are the phoenix of all the inhabitants of these woods.”
At these words, the Crow is overjoyed.
And in order to show off his beautiful voice,
He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall
The Fox grabs it, and says: “My good man,
Learn that every flatterer
Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him.
This lesson, without doubt, is well worth a cheese.”
The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed,
Swore, but a little late, that he would not be taken again.
Who is Michael Rosen?
My first book for children was called Mind Your Own Business and it came out in 1974. Quentin Blake did wonderful line drawings for it.
Ever since then, I’ve been doing these things:
Writing books
Writing articles for newspapers and magazines
Going to schools, libraries and theatres and performing the poems in my books
Helping children write poems and stories
Making radio programmes, mostly about words, language or books
Appearing on TV, either reading books, or talking about books
Teaching at universities about children’s literature
Running workshops for teachers about poetry
and now - beatboxing
In any week, I might be doing all of these things! To tell the truth, I don’t really know what I’m doing tomorrow, unless I look in my diary to see.
#MichaelRosen
#KidsTV
#HomeschoolingUK
