When prince Smolensky's art had found a way to curb1 the foe2's presumptuous3 heart. The modern Vandals snared4 to ruin and left them Moscow town to their undoing5.
Then all, the great and small, each blessed soul alive, Packed up without an hour's delay and from the walls of Moscow streamed away like swarm6 of bees that leaves the hive.
A crow upon a roof that slowly cleaned her beak7 surveyed the tumult8, perched apart.
'Why, friend, it's surely time to start?' called out a hen upon a cart, 'Stands at the gate, even while I speak, our ruthless foe.'
'And where's the harm in that for me?' The augur9 bird replies: 'I'll hold my own, you'll see; You chicken-hearts, that want to, go! But folk will neither roast nor stew10 a crow. We'll get on well enough, our guests and I, who knows but I may find some dainty snacks of food, a bit of cheese, a bone or something good? Good luck, dear Henny, on the road! Good-bye!'
So Crow, she stayed behind. What else? Why, stead of snacks her board to embellish11, When, in Smolensky's clutch, the French took in their belts, they cooked the crow as well, to give their soup a relish12.
As blind, as foolish often do human reckonings show. You're close on Fortune's heels; you think you'll catch the jade13, And when the last accounts are made, you're in the soup, just like our crow.
当年，斯摩凌斯奇公爵为打击敌人狂妄的气焰设下奇谋，给新的汪达尔布下天罗地网，撤出墨西哥来消灭他们。
于是所有居民，不分贵贱，人人刻不容缓地收拾行李，涌出莫斯科好像涌出蜂房。
一只乌鸦独自待在屋里，慢慢的擦洗着嘴巴，俯瞰着下面的一片慌乱。
“怎么啦，朋友，是该走的时候了？”一只母鸡从大车上对它说：“咱们残酷的敌人，说话间就要到门口了！”
“这对我有什么妨碍？”，这预言家答道：“我决定留在这里，你们这些胆小鬼才想走，走你们的吧！可不会把乌鸦烤了煮了，我跟客人们会相处的很好，说不定我还会分点好吃的呢，一小片奶酪呀，一块骨头呀，或者其他什么好东西。再见，亲爱的凤冠鸡，祝你一路平安。”
乌鸦真的留下来了。后来怎么样呢？当法兰西人在斯摩棱斯基的围困中束紧裤带时，乌鸦没有尝到好东西，而法兰西客人照样煮了它，为他们的羹汤添点滋味。
一个人在算盘时常常愚蠢而盲目，你紧紧追求幸福，自以为一定能获得至宝，可归根结底一算，却和这个乌鸦一样，成了别人的羹汤。
