Hawk and the Nightingale, The Aesopic fable found in Hesiod’s Work and Days, written in the eighth century b.c.e. and considered the earliest known example of the Greek fables. A hawk caught a nightingale and was carrying it high in the sky. The nightingale cried out, but the hawk was unmoved. It said to the poor bird: “What’s wrong with you? Why scream? I’m your master and can do with you what I want. If I like I can let you go free, or if I prefer, I can eat you for dinner.” Moral: He is a fool who fights with someone who is stronger than he—he will not only lose the battle but will also be disgraced.
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SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante
