Character Index | Proverb Index
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| Character Index | Proverb Index |
Eliot/Jacobs Version
A Peacock once placed a petition before Juno desiring to have the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions; but Juno refused his request. When he persisted, and pointed out that he was her favourite bird, she said: "Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything."
Townsend version
The peacock made complaint to Juno that, while the nightingale pleased every ear with his song, he himself no sooner opened his mouth than he became a laughingstock to all who heard him. The Goddess, to console him, said, "But you far excel in beauty and in size. The splendor of the emerald shines in your neck and you unfold a tail gorgeous with painted plumage." "But for what purpose have I," said the bird, "this dumb beauty so long as I am surpassed in song?' "The lot of each," replied Juno, "has been assigned by the will of the Fates--to thee, beauty; to the eagle, strength; to the nightingale, song; to the raven, favorable, and to the crow, unfavorable auguries. These are all contented with the endowments allotted to them."
L'Estrange version
The peacock, they say, lay'd it extremely to heart, that being Juno's darling-bird, he had not the nightingale's voice superadded to the beauty of his own plumes. Upon this subject he petition'd his patroness, who gave him for answer, that Providence had assign'd every bird its proportion, and so bad him content himself with his lot.
Moral
The bounties of heaven are in such manner distributed, that every living creature has its share; beside, that to desire things against nature, is effectually to blame the very author of nature it self.
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Tom Simondi, All Rights Reserved