If the bird is poor, it will fight; if the beast is poor, it will bite. ——Sun Wu, a military strategist in the Spring and Autumn Period, Sun Tzu's "The Art of War: Military Struggle"

Birds and beasts never tire of heights, and fish and turtles never tire of depths. ——Zhuang Zhou, philosopher of the Warring States Period Zhuangzi "Zhuangzi Geng Sangchu"

A poor bird is in the arms of a benevolent man. ——Educator and litterateur Yan Zhitui of the Southern and Northern Dynasties

One bird in the hand is worth less than a hundred birds in the forest.

God gives food to birds, but does not throw food into the nest. ——Hollandon

A bird cannot fly without wings, and a snake cannot fly without a head