A dove alighted on a branch not far from a hawk’s high perch. The hawk, displeased by this intrusion, studied its neighbour. “What puny little claws you have?” it remarked. “They serve me well enough,” the dove replied unperturbed and with more confidence than the hawk could countenance. It raised a claw and slashed the smaller bird across the breast. “As do mine,” it declared. The dove reeled and swayed, but did not fall. It gripped the branch with all the strength it had left. “No, you’re wrong, dear hawk,” it said. “It is you who serves them.”

© Richard Parkin, 2025

Further reading: Misadventures in the Land of Fables #60