Aesop | Greece
The Peacock Stripped of his Feathers
Beautiful peacock shared his feathers with animals, but when he needed help, he was left alone, regretting his vanity and unthinking generosity.
Once upon a time, in a big forest, there was a beautiful peacock. He had shiny, colorful feathers that sparkled in the sun.
One day, all the animals in the forest had a meeting. The peacock came to the meeting with his feathers spread out. All the animals stared at him and wished they had pretty feathers like his.
A brave little animal asked the peacock, "Can I have one of your pretty feathers, please?"
The peacock was happy that everyone liked his feathers, so he said yes and gave the animal a feather. Soon, every animal wanted a feather too.
The peacock kept giving his feathers to make his friends happy. But soon, he had no feathers left. Without his shiny feathers, he looked just like any other bird.
When the weather turned cold, the peacock felt very chilly. He had no feathers to keep him warm. Even though everyone liked him before, no one helped him now.
So, the peacock, who was once the most beautiful of all, found himself alone and forgotten. He learned that it’s nice to share, but he also realized it's important to think carefully about how much to give, so you can still take care of yourself.
