“But what creatures are stronger and more powerful than we?” asked the other birds greatly surprised.
“What!” said he, “you do not know who is greater and stronger than you are? You all think yourselves to be the cleverest of created beings, and you expect me, the smallest of you, to tell you that? Very well, then, since you do not know even as much as this, hear it from me. Stronger than all of you are the archers and the sportsmen.”
“Why,” replied the birds, “how can that be?”
“Well,” he said, “if they meet you they can make an end of you, and that, before you know where you are; you, who are so clever, that you wanted to put me at the tip of your tail!”
“What can we do to save ourselves?”
The sparrow-hawk replied, “You must never gather together and fly in large numbers, for thus we are sure to fall a prey to them. Our only safety lies in our dispersion.”
As soon as the birds heard that, they dispersed quickly, and since that time hawks are never found together in large numbers, except when they see carrion. In such wise did the little sparrow-hawk free himself from the domination of the other birds of his clan.