The Fox and the Cheese is based on an Aesop's Fable, The Fox and the Raven. A raven has a piece of cheese in her beak when a hungry fox passes by. He asks for a bite of the cheese, but the raven refuses. Then, slyly, he asks if she could sing for him instead because he tells her what a beautiful sing voice she has. Flattered, the raven croaks out a note, dropping the cheese. The fox snatches it up and runs off with it. Moral: Flattery will get you everywhere. In this painting, I upgraded the cheese to a gem and anthropomorphasized the fox.