Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/409

Rh "Up to to-day you would not see my greatness," said the peacock, so overflowing with delight that in breach of all modesty he began to spread his wings and dance in the midst of the vast assembly, — and in dancing he exposed himself.

Then the royal Golden Goose was shocked!

And he said, "This fellow has neither modesty in his heart, nor decency in his outward behaviour! I shall not give my daughter to him. He has broken loose from all sense of shame!" And he uttered this verse to all the assembly —

"Pleasant is your cry, brilliant is your back. Almost like the opal in its colour is your neck. The feathers in your tail reach about a fathom's length, But to such a dancer I can give no daughter, sir, of mine!"

Then the king in the midst of the whole assembly bestowed his daughter on a young goose, his nephew. And the peacock was covered with shame at not getting the fair gosling, and rose straight up from the place and flew away.

But the king of the Golden Geese went back to the place where he dwelt.

When the Teacher had finished this lesson in virtue, in illustration of what he had said ("Not only, O monks, has this brother now lost the jewel of the faith by immodesty,