064. THE HAWK AND THE NIGHTINGALE. A nightingale, sitting all alone among the shady branches of an oak, sung with so melodious and shrill a pipe, that she made the woods echo again, and alarmed an hungry hawk, who was at some distance off, watching for his prey; he had no sooner discovered the little musician, but making a stoop at the place he seized her with his crooked talons, and bid her prepare for death.
“Ah!” says she, “for mercy's sake, don't do so barbarous a thing, and so unbecoming yourself: consider, I never did you any wrong, and am but a poor small morsel for such a stomach as yours: rather attack some larger fowl which may bring you more credit and a better meal, and let me go.”
“Ay,” says the hawk, “persuade me to it if you can; I have been upon the watch all the day long, and have not met with one bit of anything till I caught you; and now you would have me let you go, in hopes of something better, would you? Pray who would be the fool then?” [more info]
“Ah!” says she, “for mercy's sake, don't do so barbarous a thing, and so unbecoming yourself: consider, I never did you any wrong, and am but a poor small morsel for such a stomach as yours: rather attack some larger fowl which may bring you more credit and a better meal, and let me go.”
“Ay,” says the hawk, “persuade me to it if you can; I have been upon the watch all the day long, and have not met with one bit of anything till I caught you; and now you would have me let you go, in hopes of something better, would you? Pray who would be the fool then?” [more info]
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