In this fable, the peripeteia occurs when the cock was searching, expecting to find a grain of food but instead uncovers a costly jewel, leaving his needs unsatisfied. The action of uncovering the precious treasure abruptly reverses into an experience of utter uselessness.
The anagnorisis occurs when the cock recognizes the preciousness of the jewel he has found and also its worthlessness to his own want.
The cock’s pathos consists of his suffering the lack of his true desires. Because the cock experiences immediate anagnorisis of the jewel’s worthlessness to him he avoids suffering a tragic fate in futile possession of the object. Instead, the cock exercises pragmatic wisdom and suffers only the lack of his humble need in spite of his confrontation with illusory value.