The Jackdaw and the Peacocks

2.15. De graculo et pavonibus
Caxton: Of the Iaye and of the pecok
None ought to were and putte on hym the gowne of other / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fable Of a Iaye full of vayne glory / whiche took and putte on hym the fethers of a pecok / and with them he aourned / and arayed hym self well / And whanne he was wel dressyd and arayed / by his oultrecuydaunce or ouerwenynge wold haue gone and conuersed amonge the pecoks / and dispraysed alle his felawes / And whanne the pecoks knewe that he was not of theyr kynd / they anone plucked of alle his fethers / And smote and bete hym by suche maner / that no fethers abode vpon hym / And he fledde away al naked and bare / And thenne whanne his felawes sawe hym / they sayd to hym / What gallaunt come hyther / where ben thy fayre fethers / whiche thow haddest but late a gone / Hast thow no shame ne vergoyne to come in oure companye / And thenne alle the byrdes came vpon hym / and smote & bete hym / sayenge thus to hym / yf thow haddest be content of thyn owne vestymentes / thow haddest not come to this vylony /
Therfor hit appereth that hit is not good to were another mans gowne / For suche weren fayre gownes and fayr gyrdels of gold that haue theyr teeth cold at home
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The Jackdaw and the Peacocks

THE JACKDAW AND THE PEACOCKS. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw

007. THE VAIN JACKDAW A Jackdaw, as vain and conceited as Jackdaw could be, picked up the feathers which some Peacocks had shed, stuck them amongst his own, and despising his old companions, introduced himself with the greatest assurance into a flock of those beautiful birds. They, instantly detecting the intruder, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their beaks, sent him about his business. The unlucky Jackdaw, sorely punished and deeply sorrowing, betook himself to his former companions, and would have flocked with them again as if nothing had happened. But they, recollecting what airs he had given himself, drummed him out of their society, while one of those whom he had so lately despised, read him this lecture :—"Had you been contented with what nature made you, you would have escaped the chastisement of your betters and also the contempt of your equals." [more info]

The Daw in Borrowed Plumes

07. THE DAW IN BORROWED PLUMES. A rich vulgar Daw, who had a mind to be genteel, tricked herself out in all the gay feathers which fell from the fashionable Peacocks, and upon the credit of these borrowed ornaments valued herself above all the birds of the air. But this absurd vanity got her the envy of all the high-born birds with whom she wished to associate; who, indeed, upon the discovery of the truth, by common consent fell to pluming her, and when each bird had taken her own feather, this silly Daw had nothing left wherewith to cover her naked vulgarity.
MORAL. Fine feathers do not always make fine birds. [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw

004. THE VAIN JACKDAW. A certain jackdaw was so proud and ambitious, that, not contented to live within his own sphere, he picked up the feathers which fell from the peacocks, stuck them in among his own, and very confidently introduced himself into an assembly of those beautiful birds. They soon found him out, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their sharp bills, punished him as his presumption deserved.
Upon this, full of grief and affliction, he returned to his old companions, and would have flocked with them again; but they, knowing his late life and conversation, industriously avoided him, and refused to admit him into their company; and one of them at the same time gave him this serious reproof: If, friend, you could have been contented with your station, and had not disdained the rank in which nature had placed you, you had not been used so scurvily by those upon whom you intruded yourself, nor suffered the notorious slight which now we think ourselves obliged to put upon you. [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw and the Peacock

1.03. THE VAIN JACKDAW AND THE PEACOCK. That one ought not to plume oneself on the merits which belong to another, but ought rather to pass his life in his own proper guise, Æsop has given us this illustration:
A Jackdaw, swelling with empty pride, picked up some feathers which had fallen from a Peacock, and decked himself out therewith; upon which, despising his own kind, he mingled with a beauteous flock of Peacocks. They tore his feathers from off the impudent bird, and put him to flight with their beaks. The Jackdaw, thus roughly handled, in grief hastened to return to his own kind; repulsed by whom, he had to submit to sad disgrace. Then said one of those whom he had formerly despised: “If you had been content with our station, and had been ready to put up with what nature had given, you would neither have experienced the former affront, nor would your ill fortune have had to feel the additional pang of this repulse.” [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw

1.03. THE VAIN JACKDAW.
Lest any one himself should plume,
And on his neighbour’s worth presume;
But still let Nature’s garb prevail—
Esop has left this little tale:
A Daw, ambitious and absurd,
Pick’d up the quills of Juno’s bird;
And, with the gorgeous spoil adorn’d,
All his own sable brethren scorn’d,
And join’d the peacocks—who in scoff
Stripp’d the bold thief, and drove him off.
The Daw, thus roughly handled, went
To his own kind in discontent:
But they in turn contemn the spark,
And brand with many a shameful mark.
Then one he formerly disdain’d,
“Had you,” said he, “at home remain’d—
Content with Nature’s ways and will,
You had not felt the peacock’s bill;
Nor ’mongst the birds of your own dress
Had been deserted in distress.” [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw

04. THE VAIN JACKDAW. A jackdaw picked up some beautiful feathers left by the peacocks on the ground. He stuck them into his own tail, and, thinking himself too fine to mix with the other daws, strutted off to the peacocks, expecting to be welcomed as one of themselves.
The peacocks at once saw through his disguise, and, despising him for his foolishness and conceit, began to peck him, and soon he was stripped of all his borrowed plumes.
Very much ashamed, the jackdaw went sadly home, meaning to join his old friends as if nothing had happened. But they, remembering how he had scorned them before, chased him away and would have nothing to do with him.
"If you had been content," said one, "to remain as nature made you, instead of trying to be what you are not, you would have neither been punished by your betters nor despised by your equals." [more info]

The Jackdaw and Peacocks

047. THE JACKDAW AND PEACOCKS. A certain jackdaw was so proud and ambitious, that, not contented to live within his own sphere, he picked up the feathers which fell from the peacocks, stuck them in among his own, and very confidently introduced himself into an assembly of those beautiful birds. They soon found him out, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their sharp bills, punished him as his presumption deserved.
Upon this, full of grief and affliction, he returned to his old companions, and would have flocked with them again; but they, knowing his late life and conversation, industriously avoided him, and refused to admit him into their company; and one of them at the same time gave him this serious reproof: If, friend, you could have been contented with your station, and had not disdained the rank in which nature had placed you, you had not been used so scurvily by those upon whom you intruded yourself, nor suffered the notorious slight which now we think ourselves obliged to put upon you. [more info]

The Daw in Borrowed Feathers

01. THE DAW IN BORROWED FEATHERS. A conceited Jackdaw was vain enough to imagine that he wanted nothing but the coloured plumes to make him as beautiful a bird as the Peacock. Puffed up with this wise conceit, he dressed himself with a quantity of their finest feathers, and in this borrowed garb, leaving his old companions, tried to pass for a Peacock; but he no sooner attempted to stray with these splendid birds, than an affected strut betrayed the sham. The offended Peacocks fell upon him with their beaks, and soon stripped him of his finery.
Having turned him again into a mere Jackdaw, they drove him back to his brethren. But they, remembering what airs he had once given himself, would not permit him to flock with them again, and treated him with well-deserved contempt. [more info]

The Daw with Borrowed Feathers

1.30. THE DAW WITH BORROWED FEATHERS. To aim at figure by the means either of borrowed wit, or borrowed money, generally subjects us at least to tenfold ridicule.
A pragmatic Jackdaw was vain enough to imagine that he wanted nothing but the coloured plumes to render him as elegant a bird as the Peacock. Puffed up with this wise conceit, he dressed himself with a sufficient quantity of their most beautiful feathers, and in this borrowed garb, forsaking his old companions, endeavoured to pass for a Peacock; but he no sooner attempted to associate with these genteel creatures, than an affected strut betrayed the vain pretender. The offended Peacocks, plucking from him their degraded feathers, soon stripped him of his finery, reduced him to a mere Jackdaw, and drove him back to his brethren, by whom he was now equally despised, and justly punished with derision and contempt. [more info]

The Jay in the Feathers of the Peacock

04.09: THE JAY IN THE FEATHERS OF THE PEACOCK.
A peacock moulted: soon a jay was seen
Bedeck'd with Argus tail of gold and green,
High strutting, with elated crest,
As much a peacock as the rest.
His trick was recognized and bruited,
His person jeer'd at, hiss'd, and hooted.
The peacock gentry flock'd together,
And pluck'd the fool of every feather.
Nay more, when back he sneak'd to join his race,
They shut their portals in his face.
There is another sort of jay,
The number of its legs the same,
Which makes of borrow'd plumes display,
And plagiary is its name.
But hush! the tribe I'll not offend;
'Tis not my work their ways to mend.
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The Jay and the Peacock

21. THE JAY AND THE PEACOCK. A Jay venturing into a yard where Peacocks used to walk, found there a number of feathers which had fallen from the Peacocks when they were moulting. He tied them all to his tail and strutted down towards the Peacocks. When he came near them they soon discovered the cheat, and striding up to him pecked at him and plucked away his borrowed plumes. So the Jay could do no better than go back to the other Jays, who had watched his behaviour from a distance; but they were equally annoyed with him, and told him: "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." [more info]

The Daw in Borrowed Plumes

07. THE DAW IN BORROWED PLUMES. A rich vulgar Daw, who had a mind to be genteel, tricked herself out in all the gay feathers which fell from the fashionable Peacocks, and upon the credit of these borrowed ornaments valued herself above all the birds of the air. But this absurd vanity got her the envy of all the high-born birds with whom she wished to associate; who, indeed, upon the discovery of the truth, by common consent fell to pluming her, and when each bird had taken her own feather, this silly Daw had nothing left wherewith to cover her naked vulgarity.
MORAL. Fine feathers do not always make fine birds. [more info]

The Jay and Peacock

047. THE JAY AND PEACOCK. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll down to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw

32. THE VAIN JACKDAW.
"Fine feathers," Jack thought, "make fine fowls;
I'll be envied of bats and of owls."
But the Peacock's proud eyes
Saw through his disguise,
And Jack fled the assembly of fowls.
BORROWED PLUMES ARE SOON DISCOVERED
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The Vain Jackdaw

01. THE VAIN JACKDAW. A Daw that had a mind to be sparkish, trick’d himself up with all the gay Feathers he could muster together: And upon the credit of these stoll’n or borrow’d Ornaments, he valu’d himself above all the Birds in the Air beside. The Pride of this Vanity got him the Envy of all his Companions, who, upon a Discovery of the Truth of the Case, fell to pluming of him by Consent; and when every Bird had taken his own Feather, the silly Daw had nothing left him to cover his Nakedness.
We steal from one another in all manner of Ways, and to all manner of Purposes; Wit, as well as Feathers; but where Pride and Beggary meet, People are sure to be made Ridiculous in the Conclusion. [more info]

The Vain Jackdaw and his Borrowed Feathers

THE VAIN JACKDAW AND HIS BORROWED FEATHERS. A Jackdaw chanced to fly over the garden of the King's palace. There he saw with much wonder and envy a flock of royal Peacocks in all the glory of their splendid plumage.
Now the black Jackdaw was not a very handsome bird, nor very refined in manner. Yet he imagined that all he needed to make himself fit for the society of the Peacocks was a dress like theirs. So he picked up some castoff feathers of the Peacocks and stuck them among his own black plumes.
Dressed in his borrowed finery he strutted loftily among the birds of his own kind. Then he flew down into the garden among the Peacocks. But they soon saw who he was. Angry at the cheat, they flew at him, plucking away the borrowed feathers and also some of his own.
The poor Jackdaw returned sadly to his former companions. There another unpleasant surprise awaited him. They had not forgotten his superior airs toward them, and, to punish him, they drove him away with a rain of pecks and jeers.
Borrowed feathers do not make fine birds. [more info]