Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons explained
Pigeons, persecuted by a Kite, invite a Hawk to protect them, only to find the Hawk kills more of them than the Kite ever did, illustrating the folly of trusting a dangerous ally.
What happens
Pigeons, persecuted by a Kite, invite a Hawk to protect them, only to find the Hawk kills more of them than the Kite ever did, illustrating the folly of trusting a dangerous ally.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the victor Cock, swollen with pride after his triumph, is sud…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Cunning and Deception
The hawk deceives the pigeons into trusting him, exploiting their desperation for protection.
- Wisdom and Foolishness
The pigeons' lack of wisdom in choosing a protector leads to greater harm, highlighting the folly of poor judgment.
Characters to notice
- The Hawk
Invited by the pigeons to defend them, but proves more destructive than the original enemy.
- The Kite
The original persecutor of the pigeons, who carried them off periodically.
- The Pigeons
The victims who foolishly invite a hawk for protection, only to suffer greater losses.
Key passages
“The Pigeons in a certain dovecote were persecuted by a Kite, who every now and then swooped down and carried off one of their number.”
A group of pigeons was regularly attacked by a kite that would snatch one of them.
Sets up the problem that leads the pigeons to seek help.
“So they invited a Hawk into the dovecote to defend them against their enemy.”
They asked a hawk to come and protect them from the kite.
The pigeons' misguided solution to their problem.
“But they soon repented of their folly: for the Hawk killed more of them in a day than the Kite had done in a year.”
They quickly regretted their foolish decision because the hawk killed far more pigeons than the kite ever had.
The ironic and tragic outcome of their choice.
