The Vultures and the Pigeons

The vultures and the pigeons is a fable of Jean de la Fontaine[1] adapted from a Latin original by Laurentius Abstemius,[2] where it was titled De acciptribus inter se inimicis quos columbae pacaverant (The warring hawks pacified by doves).

Abstemius tells how doves manage to end a conflict between warring hawks, only to have the raptors turn on them instead.

After the pigeons intervene to their own eventual destruction, La Fontaine concludes that it is better to keep the belligerent at war in order to stay safe.

[4] In Brooke Boothby's imitation in Fables & Satires (Edinburgh 1809) the outcome of the peacemaking is compared to the Partition of Poland as the result of concord between former war rivals.

Originally published in Munich in 1808, the book saw many reprints and was also adapted in the United States.