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// Clyde and the Fox 
// Story: Clyde's Tales 
// by Salivanth 
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Once upon a time, there was an eminently sensible earth pony named Clyde working in the fields of his family's rock farm. He had been working since before dawn turning the rocks, so when noon rolled around he decided to take a break for lunch. He sought desperately for some shade in which to enjoy the lunch his daughter had packed him on this blisteringly hot day. After searching for a few minutes, he was relieved to find an overhang providing shade on top of a large boulder in the northernmost part of the fields. Although the climb would have been near impossible for anypony else, Clyde was a member of the Pie family, and as such scaled the over-sized rock with relative ease. After he situated himself under the cool of the shade, Clyde retrieved a cheese sandwich from his bag and began to eat.

Just as Clyde took a particularly large and gooey bite of cheese, a clever fox spotted him from the road. She saw the deliciously gooey cheese sandwich that the young earth pony was enjoying and her stomach rumbled in response. Knowing that she could not climb up to the pony and steal the sandwich from him, the fox quickly devised a plan to get the earth pony to drop the cheese sandwich out of his mouth and down into her own gaping jaws.

Thus, the fox trotted over to the bottom of the rocks and looked up at Clyde.

Feigning shock and awe, the fox looked up at Clyde and said, "My! What a handsome pony! His build is so strong, and yet incredibly sleek. His coat is glistening and his mane gracefully flows down his neck. Truely, I have never seen a more beautiful creature in all of Equestria!"

The fox then allowed the smile on her face to fall, "It is unfortunate that such a magnificent, handsome creature cannot sing."

The fox looked up at Clyde, expecting him to burst into song. However, the sensible earth pony sat quietly, finished his sandwich, picked up his lunch bag, and began to climb down to the ground. After he reached the ground, the earth pony walked past the fox and, without breaking his stride, dropped the lunch bag next to the fox as he passed.

"Thank you for the kind words," Clyde said as he strolled on, "but if you want to hear singing, you'll need to talk to my daughter."

The stunned fox simply watched the earth pony until he disappeared. Never before had her foxy wiles failed her. After she recovered from her shock, the fox turned her attention to the bag the pony had left beside her. As she opened the bag, she was moved by what she saw.

Inside was another gooey cheese sandwich.

Moral of the story: Do not be fooled by false flattery. However, do not let others' words stand in the way of showing compassion on those who need it.