The Fabulous Peacock and the Humble Robin

In a beautiful park, there lived a proud peacock named Percy. Every day, he would strut around with his colorful feathers fanned out, making sure everyone noticed him. He loved the attention and would often pause to admire himself in the reflection of the pond. “Look at me! I’m the most beautiful creature here,” Percy would think, his chest puffing out with pride.

One day, Ruby, a little robin, flew by and saw Percy showing off. “Wow,” she thought, “he sure does get a lot of attention. But is that all there is to life? To just look good?”

Feeling a little jealous but also curious, Ruby decided to ask Percy. “Hey, Percy, you’re always so proud of your feathers. But don’t you ever get tired of just looking good? Isn’t there more to life than showing off?”

Percy, with a proud tilt of his head, replied, “Tired? Why would I be tired? People love me because I’m beautiful! Everyone admires me. No one even notices little birds like you.”

Ruby didn’t say anything right away, but she had an idea. “Well, let’s have a little challenge, Percy. Let’s see who can do more for the park. You keep showing off your feathers, and I’ll show you how I can help.”

Percy laughed. “Help? How could a small bird like you help anyone? Go ahead, try. But I’ll keep doing what I do best.”

So, for the next few days, Percy kept parading around, basking in his beauty, while Ruby got busy. She helped lost animals find their way, brought food to the hungry, and even kept a lookout for dangers in the park. Slowly, the animals in the park started to take notice of Ruby, appreciating how kind and helpful she was.

Then, one afternoon, a terrible storm hit. The wind howled, and rain poured down in sheets. Percy, with his big, beautiful feathers, tried to find shelter, but the wind was too strong. His feathers got soaked, and he couldn’t fly properly. Meanwhile, Ruby found a safe spot under a large tree, and she quickly gathered the other animals, guiding them to safety from the storm.

When the storm passed and the sun came out again, Percy was dripping wet, his feathers drooping. Ruby, on the other hand, was dry and warm, surrounded by grateful animals.

Percy, feeling embarrassed, walked up to Ruby. “I thought being admired for my beauty was the best thing,” he said, “but you’ve shown me that helping others is what really matters.”

Ruby smiled and said, “You’re beautiful, Percy, but true greatness isn’t in how you look. It’s in how you treat others.”

Moral of the Story: True greatness comes from what we do for others, not just how we look