An eagle and a magpie—different birds in every way—crossed paths one day by chance.
The magpie was at first afraid. The queen of air and sky, who’d eaten recently, however, reassured her.
“Come; let’s spend some time together. Even Jupiter disports himself at times; why shouldn’t I, his servant, do the same? Confabulate with me.”
At this, the cackling chatterbox began to gossip volubly. She gabbed and blabbed of this and that, and volunteered, what’s more, to play informant, flying here and there, reporting everything she saw.
This offer failed to tempt the queen. “It would,” she said, “be better if you stayed at home. I need no prattling babbler at my court.”
It isn’t easy winning favor with the great. The would-be courtier must, like magpies who wear two parties’ colors, temporize; but odious are tattletales and spies.