Section 234
The Nightingale and the Hawk explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Nightingale was sitting on a bough of an oak and singing, as her custom was. A hungry Hawk presently spied her, and darting to the spot seized her in his talons. He was just about to tear her in pieces when she begged him to spare her life: "I'm not big enough," she pleaded,...
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Public-domain original
A Nightingale was sitting on a bough of an oak and singing, as her
custom was. A hungry Hawk presently spied her, and darting to the spot
seized her in his talons. He was just about to tear her in pieces when
she begged him to spare her life: "I'm not big enough," she pleaded,
"to make you a good meal: you ought to seek your prey among the bigger
birds." The Hawk eyed her with some contempt. "You must think me very
simple," said he, "if you suppose I am going to give up a certain
prize on the chance of a better of which I see at present no signs."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A Nightingale was sitting on a bough of an oak and singing, as her custom was.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns a common human habit into a short lesson about judgment and consequences.
Characters in this scene
- The Nightingale: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Hawk: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
A Nightingale was sitting on a bough of an oak and singing, as her custom was. A hungry Hawk presently spied her, and darting to the spot seized her in his talons.