The crow flew down and landed in their cart with a thud. He sat down to see what would happen.

The bride and groom were ready. Thoughts of the peacock and jewelry fanned the flames of fire already burning in their hearts. They caught hold of the crow’s feet and dashed him to the ground. That crow became just a pile of black feathers.

Meanwhile, the sisters were sitting on their doorsteps waiting for him to return. But the crow never came, nor brought any jewelry.

Finally they ran and ran and ran and came before the peacock. Each of the six sisters had the idea of taking him away to her own house, so when they all descended on him at once, a tussle started.

One yelled: “Come to my house first!”

And another cried: “No, come to my house first!”

Someone told him, “Oh! Yesterday I had a splitting headache.” And another told him of her stomachache, another her eyeache. Someone else claimed she was fast asleep when such words slipped out of her mouth.

“If we would not even open the door for our dear peacock,” they crooned innocently, “then for whom? We love and respect him as much as our beloved father, rest his soul….”

The peacock had heard enough.

“Wait!” he yelled. “ I am going to the jungle. I’ll be back this evening.” He walked away from the circle of crows and into the peace of the jungle. Then he returned just as the sun was setting.

“Oh, that dear peacock,” the sisters clucked approvingly. “He’s a bird who is good at his word.”

He came to the eldest sister’s house and knocked: “Open the door, will you?”