Fable Of The Peacock (1950)

Heat. Heat. [Music] A young girl from the village of Katia walks toward the marketplace to sell a basket of flowers which she skillfully balances on her head. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] The World Dances is a series of dance presentations showing you how different peoples of the world use the dance as a ceremonial, as a form of entertainment, or just for fun. This flower girl from a province in northwest India is using her hands to show you how she places flowers in her hair and the garlands she has made and she is asking you to buy them from her. These hand gestures are typical of East Indian dance throughout India. You know the hands are a much more important part of the dance than they are for instance in our own country. The dancers use their hands to tell you a story in a series of stylized gestures called mudra. [Music] This mudras for example means a lotus bloom which is opening. Our Indian dancer here is Lakshmi wana sing. She's barely 18 years old but she's been dancing for nearly 15 years. To achieve the fluidity and control so necessary in this kind of dance took these 15 years of rigorous daily training by her father. She has thus become one of the finest East Indian dancers and her ease and authority of manner make her really outstanding. Her father Dr. Wasanta Wana Singh composed the music for these dances. He is playing the Saroda Vina. [Music] Let's listen to Lakshmi as she tells you the fable of the vain peacock with both her voice and her hands. In this land of ours, where snowcapped mountains reach toward the heavens like silent sentinels, we find dense forests in which all animals live side by side. We would like to tell you a story about some of these forest dwellers. Listen. Once in the clearing of a forest [Music] lived a peacock [Music] whose feathers were the most beautiful in all the animal kingdom. [Music] It was understood why Lord Vishnu had selected him as his vehicle, as not a day would pass without some animal stopping to gaze admiringly at the huge fan of vivid colors that rose above his proud head. This constant admiration made the peacocks very vain, and he had only contempt for all other beauties nature had surrounded him with. The gay screams with water of pure silver that ran across the clearing, forming here and there, serene spots, covered with lotus blooms, seemed to him unworthy of his attention, and he thought the blue velvet of the night studded with stars, a poor imitation of his own beauty. All this was finally brought to the attention of the king of the animals, the lion. [Music] who called a meeting to discuss the manner in which to cure the peacock of his false vanity. Each animal expressed his views, and the cobra was the first to speak, spreading his diamondshaped hood. [Music] [Applause] [Music] He suggested that the peacock be expelled from the kingdom. And the beer who wasn't inclined to be merciful. [Music] with eyes full of sadness, gently agreed. And the crocodile, opening his jaws, suggested that the best punishment would be to cut his tail off. And the eagle soaring through the sky al lighted from his lofty mountain perch and said that he believed the peacock should be left on a high mountain top to live the rest of his life alone. [Music] However, it was the wild elephant who advanced [Music] flapping his huge fanlike ears [Music] and raising his trunk in salutation to the king of the jungle that suggested the best punishment. Let us challenge the peacock to sing. He said such is his conceit. He will never hesitate to take up the challenge. I would suggest that the nighting gale be the challenger as he is the sweetest singer [Music] amongst us. [Music] With much excitement and commotions, all agreed and went to the clearing in the forest. [Music] The nighting gale humbly approached the peacock and said, "I am sure that you possess an enchanting voice as beautiful as the feathers of your tail. Will you please sing for me? The peacock looked at the little brown bird and tolerantly smiled. No, my dear friends, you sing first. The nighting gale lifted his voice to the heavens in the sweetest song the jungle had ever heard. [Music] In the hushed silence that followed, the peacock said, "Very good, my friend, but that is nothing. Wait until you hear my voice." and puffing out his chest and standing on the tips of his toes, he lifted his head to the sky and let out a shrill cry that sent all the animals stirring. [Music] Then followed laughter and ridicule as all the animals made fun of his vain attempt. The lion came forward in a majestic tread [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and roared. [Music] Everyone in this jungle has his own place and his own beauty. Vanity is shallow and should not be tolerated. [Music] The nighting gale simple coat is no match to your glorious colors. But neither is your voice a match to that of the charmer of the skies. The peacock bowed his head [Music] and understood [Music] his own. [Music] Where are you? [Music]