A hungry Hawk had spent his entire day searching for food but had found nothing. In the evening, just before he was about to go home, he saw a Nightingale sitting on the branch of a tree.
He thought, ‘Finally, I will not have to go to sleep hungry.’
The Hawk flew down to the tree and caught the Nightingale tightly in his claws and flew to a rock. The Nightingale was terrified in the Hawk’s clutches. She said to the Hawk, “Great Hawk, I sing very sweetly. I will sing beautiful songs for you. Kindly spare my life.” The Hawk replied, “Oh no! No music can sound pleasing on an empty stomach!”
The Nightingale said again, “Oh Mighty Hawk, please do not kill me. I am such a tiny bird. I will not be able to satisfy your hunger.”
The Hawk smiled wickedly and said, “It is better to have something in my stomach then not have anything at all. Besides, a little bird I have is more important to me than a bigger one I have not caught.”
Saying this, the Hawk swallowed the Nightingale in one gulp!
It is useless to plead before the cruel enemy!