An eagle swooped down from a high rock and carried off a lamb. A jackdaw, seized with envy, decided to do the same; it dived noisily at a ram, but its claws tangled in the thick wool, and however hard it flapped it could not break free. The shepherd ran up, caught it, clipped its wingtips, and that evening took it home to his children. When they asked what bird it was, he said, "As far as I know, a jackdaw; but it would have you believe it is an eagle."
Measure yourself against the powerful, and you will not only waste your effort but turn your own downfall into a joke.
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