Premise: The lindworm had often watched the eagle flying about the top of the tree , carrying food to his young ones and , accordingly , he watched carefully for the moment when the eaglets began to try their wings and to fly away from the nest .<br>Of course , if the eagle himself was there to protect them even the lindworm , big and strong as he was , knew that he could do nothing ; but when he was absent , any little eaglets who ventured too near the ground would be sure to disappear down the monster 's throat .
Hypothesis: The lindworm never watches the eagle.