Once there was a peacock who was very proud and vain. He boasted to everyone about his beautiful feathers. If it rained, he would stand looking at his reflection in puddles. “Just look at my tail!” he would crow. “Look at the colours of my feathers. I am so beautiful! I must be the most beautiful bird in the world!” At this he would open his tail like a great fan and stand waiting for someone to come along and adore him. The other birds became annoyed at the boasts of the proud peacock and tried to think of a way of taking him down a peg. A crane had an idea. “Leave it to me,” he told the others. “I'll make that vain peacock look foolish.” One morning the crane strolled past the peacock. As usual the peacock was preening his feathers. “Am I not beautiful!” he cried. “You are so plain and dull, Crane. Why don't you try to look a little smarter?” “Your feathers may be more beautiful than mine,” said the crane calmly. “But I notice that you cannot fly. Your beautiful feathers are not strong enough to lift you from the ground. I may be dull, but my wings can carry me into the sky!” Moral: we may lose in one way, but gain in another.
Hare Krishna! Dhirasanta dasa Goswami