The Crown That Didn’t Fit

The Crown That Didn’t Fit is a fable about a prideful peacock leader who rules from above but can’t see the harm his vanity causes—until he falls. It’s a lesson about humility, listening, and how real leadership means lifting others, not standing over them.

High on the rocks where the cliffside split,

Sat a Peacock King with a crown that didn’t fit.

He’d stacked it high with twigs and jewels,

Declaring, “Crowns must bend the rules!”

His name was Plume, and he loved to pose,

With tail fans flaring in practiced rows.

He’d puff and preach from his throne of bark,

While forest folks worked dawn to dark.

“Behold my shine! I lead by glare!

Let lesser birds stay under there!”

He shouted loud from the bluff’s high edge,

Ignoring hunger near the hedge.

Milo the Mouse looked up and frowned:

“His crown’s so tall it blocks the ground!”

The forest dimmed beneath its weight,

While roots grew weak, and harvests late.

Maple the Goose and Crabbie the Crow

Held forest talks down far below.

“A crown should guide, not cause a fall,”

Said Owliver, slow and thoughtful to all.

“We’ll build a stage with open air,

Where any voice can take the chair.

Let Plume come down if he dares to hear—

The forest needs more than a mirror.”

But Plume declared, “I rule the sky!

No stage can match this throne so high!”

He raised his crown with brittle pride—

And tipped it wrong, then slipped and slide!

Tumbling down with feathers spun,

He crashed where moss met morning sun.

The crowd went still. Then Milo spoke:

“Let’s help him up—but not provoke.”

With humbled eyes and twisted crown,

Plume sighed and gazed from lower down.

“I see you all. I missed the view.

A crown’s no good if it blocks what’s true.”

Now on the stage with others near,

He listens more and preens less clear.

The crown still shines—but now it’s shared,

For leading means you’ve truly cared.

Did You Know?

In real life, leaders who focus too much on appearance or status can forget to listen to those they serve. A good leader sees others—not just their own reflection.

✍️ Why I Wrote This

I wrote The Crown That Didn’t Fit as a reminder that leadership isn’t about shine—it’s about sight.

This fable was born from watching what happens when ego climbs too high and forgets who’s standing below. Plume the Peacock, with his towering crown and empty declarations, represents the kind of leader who becomes so obsessed with appearances and control that he blocks out the very people he's meant to serve.

It’s a story about what happens when power loses perspective, when pride overshadows purpose, and when image outweighs integrity.

But it’s also a story of grace.

Because when Plume falls—not to punishment, but to perspective—he finally sees what he’d missed: that true leadership isn’t about ruling from above, but standing with others, listening, and lifting the whole forest together.

This tale is for anyone who’s ever watched someone rise too far without reflection—and for every young reader learning that a crown means nothing if it hides your view.

—Forest Moss