A Crow and a Mussel

012. A Crow and a Muscle. There was one of Your Royston-Crows, that lay Battering upon a Muscle, and could not for his Blood break the Shell to come at the Fish. A Carrion-Crow, in this Interim, comes up and tells him, that what he could not do by Force, he might do by Stratagem. Take this Muscle up in the Air, says the Crow, as High as you can carry it, and then let him fall upon that Rock there; His Own Weight, You shall see, shall break him. The Roystoner took his Advice, and it succeeded accordingly; but while the One was upon Wing, the Other stood Lurching upon the Ground, and flew away with the Fish.

Moral. Charity begins at Home, they say; and most People are kind to their Neighbours for their Own sakes.

[more info; this fable is usually told about an eagle and a crow, with the eagle trying to eat a tortoise, while L'Estrange has told the story about one type of crow tricking another crow to get at a mussel; you can read L'Estrange's Reflexion at the online book.]

And here is an illustration by Ogilby, who tells the story about an eagle trying to open a scallop and a jackdaw: