The Proud Little Peacock
        
 

There once was a little peacock who lived on a very beautiful farm, and was extremely proud and vain about his looks. Lalau, the little peacock, was always showing off and making fun of the other inhabitants of the farm. When the redhead chicken said: - Lalau, come help me carry this corn!

- I can't! I'm going to get dirty! Don't you see how beautiful I am? - he replied strutting around.

When invited to play with the duck, he said:

- I will not. I do not want to ruin my clothes!

When the pig was calling him to play hide and seek, he responded rudely: - Look at yourself! I do not play with pigs! Nobody liked him. The owl, which was very smart, always advised: - Lalau, one day you'll regret it. We should all be friends and help others, but you only think about
yourself! ...

One day, Lalau not seeing a banana peel slipped and fell. And guess into what he fell? Into a large puddle of mud!

Everyone laughed at him and nobody helped him to get up.

- Look how Lalau got all dirty. Where is your beauty now? - said the cow.

Lalau cried of anger, sadness and humiliation. All wet and muddy, his beautiful coloured feathers looked horrible.

Ashamed, he complained to his mother, crying:

- Everyone is making fun of me. Nobody likes me!

And his mother decided to take the opportunity to tell him the truth:

- See, Lalau, how hard it is to have no friends? It was you who wanted it like this, my son. You have always been proud, selfish and vain. You sowed and are now reaping the results of your behaviour.

Lalau lowered his head, acknowledging that his mother was right.

But the others, who were actually sorry for him, approached him and the bunny gently reached out his paw, saying:

- Lalau, do you want to be friends?

The little peacock accepted the generous offer very happily. And from that day on, he tried to change.

When someone asked for his help, he would say:

- Yes. With pleasure!

When friends called him to play, he would go quite satisfied.

The same happens to us. Each one reaps what they sow. To be able to have friends we need to know how to spread friendship around us.

If we are good, help others, are always cheerful and well humoured, all around us will also be happy, and we will be satisfied and at peace.
 

Aunt Celia
 

MEIMEI
 

(Psychographed by Celia Xavier de Camargo on 26/09/2011.)