Perry's Index to the Aesopica
Fables exist in many versions; here is one version in English:
THE PEACOCK ELECTED KING OF THE BIRDS
There were once some birds who gathered together for a group assembly and debated
amongst themselves who was best suited to rule. The peacock said to the other
birds, 'The kingship suits me best, since I am remarkably beautiful and in the
prime of life.' While the rest of the birds were satisfied with the peacock,
the raven made his way into their midst and protested, 'Tell me, if you become
king, what is going to happen when the eagle attacks us: are you strong enough
to rescue us from his assault?'
The fable shows that the kingship is not suited for those who are resplendent
with beauty, but rather for those who have physical prowess and other outstanding
qualities. |
 Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.
Perry 219: Gibbs (Oxford) 22 [English]
Perry 219: Chambry 334 [Greek]
Perry 219: Syntipas 53 [Greek]
You can find a compilation of Perry's index to the Aesopica in the gigantic appendix to his
edition of Babrius and Phaedrus for the Loeb Classical Library
(Harvard University Press: Cambridge, 1965). This book is an absolute must for anyone interested
in the Aesopic fable tradition. Invaluable.
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