Section 282
The Nightingale and the Swallow explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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A Swallow, conversing with a Nightingale, advised her to quit the leafy coverts where she made her home, and to come and live with men, like herself, and nest under the shelter of their roofs. But the Nightingale replied, "Time was when I too, like yourself, lived among men: b...
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Public-domain original
A Swallow, conversing with a Nightingale, advised her to quit the
leafy coverts where she made her home, and to come and live with men,
like herself, and nest under the shelter of their roofs. But the
Nightingale replied, "Time was when I too, like yourself, lived among
men: but the memory of the cruel wrongs I then suffered makes them
hateful to me, and never again will I approach their dwellings."
The scene of past sufferings revives painful memories.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A short fable about The Nightingale and The Swallow shows how choices, assumptions, or desires can lead to consequences.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns the lesson “The scene of past sufferings revives painful memories.” into a compact story about everyday judgment.
Characters in this scene
- The Nightingale: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Swallow: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
In simple terms, The Nightingale and The Swallow face a small situation that reveals a larger lesson about behavior and consequences.