Fine Feathers By GEORGE O. SMITH Illustrated by Kramer [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Science-Fiction, January 1946. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] _Ara, the crow, was aware of the fact that he was a crow. This and this alone made him different from his fellow crows. Because he recognized the fact, it made him aware of the things that separated the crows from the pheasants that abounded across the meadow--and he admired their fine plumage and elegant ways._ _He began to scorn the idea of being a crow, and resented the attitude of his fellows. They were satisfied to be crows, and could not understand his resentment nor his desires, and they even scorned the idea that he was above them because he wanted to be other than a crow. In fact, they did not even understand his concept of being anything else. They did not look up to him for thinking over their heads._ _He should have left them and made his way alone. But he wanted to show them how much more he was than they, and so he decked himself in the plumage of one of the pheasants and then started to lord it over the rest of the crows...._ --_ÆSOP_ * * * * * Wanniston fixed the other man with a piercing gaze. "Sorry," he said. "Quite sorry. But it can not be done that way, you know. The whole proposition was your idea." "I know," said the other man. He inspected Wanniston's large, well-proportioned frame, his strong features, and his absolute poise and wondered how any man, with all to recommend him, could be so utterly unsympathetic. The coldness in his face set him apart from one of the Galactic Ones. "The proposition was sensible enough--yet I failed. Even though I failed, my manipulations were properly done, you will agree." Wanniston nodded. "Where did I fail?" "You struck a snag." "It was not my fault." "Are you crawling?" snapped Wanniston. "Perhaps," said the other man bitterly. "I want to know how I failed." Wanniston smiled deprecatorily. "Lincoln, you failed because you neglected to take everything into account. Before you succeed--before you can hope to plan without failure, you must learn to take everything into account." "One cannot take everything into account." "Yes, one can. It is quite possible--if you know how." "Everything's easy," said Lincoln sourly, "once you know how." "Certainly," laughed Wanniston. "And because I made a mistake, I failed." "Had you taken everything into account, you would have known that you could never succeed. You wouldn't have started, and now you wouldn't be a complete and broken failure." "You may well gloat." "I'm not gloating." "I believe that," admitted Lincoln. "But that changes nothing."