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THE VAIN JACKDAW

Jupiter announced that he intended to appoint a king over the

birds, and named a day on which they were to appear before his

throne, when he would select the most beautiful of them all to be

their ruler. Wishing to look their best on the occasion they

repaired to the banks of a stream, where they busied themselves

in washing and preening their feathers. The Jackdaw was there

along with the rest, and realised that, with his ugly plumage, he

would have no chance of being chosen as he was: so he waited till

they were all gone, and then picked up the most gaudy of the

feathers they had dropped, and fastened them about his own body,

with the result that he looked gayer than any of them. When the

appointed day came, the birds assembled before Jupiter's throne;

and, after passing them in review, he was about to make the

Jackdaw king, when all the rest set upon the king-elect, stripped

him of his borrowed plumes, and exposed him for the Jackdaw that

he was.