"This is the life," thought Raven and indeed it was.
The sun stood high in a cloudless sky and there was hardly a breath of wind.
It was perfect flying weather and if there was one thing Raven enjoyed it was flying.
He soared up and up on warm currents of air, then tumbled down through the sky.
He did nose-dives ("Beak-dives" he called them) and even flew upside down.

"Show off," Chirped Sparrow to Thrush as they watched.
"Thinks he's something special. Just look at the way he flies; like a huge black bull in the sky."
Unfortunatly for Sparrow, Raven heard this.
"Pruk, Pruk," he croaked.
"How dare you say that!"
Raven had a very deep voice and he sounded very cross.
"Idiot!" screeched Thrush.
"What if he sees out cake?"
It was too late.
Raven had allready seen it.
Now if there was one thing Raven enjoyed more than flying it was strawberry cheesecake.
One nose-dive later he had it in his beak and away he flew, leaving Sparrow and Thrush twittering helplessly.
Raven perched in a majestic oak, feeling like a king.
After some splendid flying here he was, deliciously cool and comfortable, with a large slice of strawberry cheesecake in his beak.
And it was lunchtime.

"Ahem. I mean, ahem." Fox cleared his throat to get Raven's attention.
His cough also hid the rumble of his tummy.
His nose had caught the scent of something which made his mouth water and he had found the right tree in a flash.
"My dear Raven," said Fox in a voice of silk and honey.
"How simply delightful to see you. You look lovely. Indeed, you always do. Just to see your brilliant black plumage shining in the sun is enough to make a fox happy. How lucky you are, the most skillful, intelligent, and good-looking bird around."
"Pruk, pruk," croaked Raven.
"My dear Fox, how nice of you to say so, thank you."
But of course he could hardly croak at all because of the enormous piece of cheesecake in his beak.
"Stone the crows," said Fox.
"You sound dreadful. I'm so sorry. You used to have such a fine voice, too."
Now Raven was very proud of his voice.
It was deep and strong, and to prove that there was nothing wrong with it he opened his beak wide and begsn to sing.
Which was a big mistake, because the strawberry cheesecake fell, faster than the fastest beak-dive, straight into Fox's mouth.
By the time Raven realized what had happened, Fox and the strawberry cheesecake had gone.
Raven felt terrible.
In the end he had nothing to crow about.

                                      THE END