A peacock stood at the edge of a pond. He marveled at his own beauty, watching his reflection in the water for hours.
“What a magnificent creature I am,” he thought to himself. Look at my golden feathers, my bright colors—no other bird is anywhere near as beautiful as me!”
Suddenly, he was torn from his thoughts by a loud noise. A crane had landed right next to him in the pond and was taking long strides through the water.
“Hey, you ugly bird! What are you doing here?” the peacock yelled. But the crane remained unperturbed and continued to search the pond for something to eat.
“Look at you!” the peacock continued. “All gray and dirty. And those long legs and neck. You’re no beauty. Especially compared to me!”
At this, the crane stopped and slowly raised his head. He looked at the peacock in astonishment.
“I mean, look at me!” the peacock said. “I’m the most beautiful bird of all. My colorful tail alone makes yours pale in comparison.”
The crane had had enough. He took to the air and said, “You’re right. You are a beautiful bird and much more colorful than I am. But you know what? I can soar high up into the air and fly out to the horizon. I carry freedom in my wings and can see the world from above. You, on the other hand, just stay on the ground all the time and get gawked at by strangers.”
The vain peacock realized how wrong he had been. He tried to apologize to the crane, but he was already flying towards the horizon.
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Note: This story is based on Aesop’s fable, written around 600 BC. It was modernized and illustrated by us.
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