FABLE XI
by John Gay · from Fables of John Gay (Somewhat Altered)
Adapted Version
A peacock lives on a farm. He is a very beautiful bird. He has many wonderful, pretty feathers. The feathers are long and bright. A turkey lives on the farm. A goose lives on the farm. They all look at the peacock.
The peacock is happy and proud. He loves his beautiful feathers. He walks around the big yard. He lifts his long tail up high. He makes a big, beautiful fan. The fan has so many colors. It has blue, and it has green. It shines bright like a jewel. All the other animals watch him.
The big turkey is not happy at all. He is a mean and grumpy bird. "You think you are pretty," he gobbles. "Your feathers are nice to see. But you are not nice inside!"
The white goose is mean too. She agrees with the mean turkey. "Your legs are ugly!" she honks loudly. "Your legs are skinny and gray." She flaps her wings. She honks again. "And your voice is a bad sound! It is so loud and awful!"
The peacock feels very sad now. His heart is sad. His big, pretty fan goes down. He looks at his own feet. He looks down at his skinny legs. "It is true," he says. "My legs are not pretty. My voice is a loud sound."
Then, the peacock looks up again. He looks at the mean turkey. He looks at the mean goose. "You see my bad legs. You see them because my feathers are pretty. You do not look at your own legs. Are your turkey legs pretty? Are your own goose legs pretty?"
He stands up tall. He says, "You say very mean things. You say them because I am beautiful. You want my pretty feathers for you. That is why you are so mean. It is never kind to be mean."
The turkey and the goose are quiet. They do not know what to say. They look at their own legs. They do not say any more mean words. They just walk away quietly.
Original Story
FABLE XI.
The Turkey, Peacock, and Goose.
As specks appear on fields of snow,
So blemishes on beauty show.
A peacock fed in a farm-yard
Where all the poultry eyed him hard—
They looked on him with evil eye,
And mocked his sumptuous pageantry:
Proud of the glories he inherited,
He sought the praises they well merited.
Then, to surprise their dazzled sight,
He spread his glories to the light.
His glories spread, no sooner seen
Than rose their malice and their spleen.
"Behold his insolence and pride—
His haughtiness!" the turkey cried.
"He trusts in feathers; but within
They serve to hide his negro skin."
"What hideous legs!" exclaimed the goose;
"The tail to hide them were of use.
And hearken to his voice: it howls
Enough to frighten midnight owls."
"Yes, they are blemishes, I own,"
Replied the peacock; "harsh the tone
Is of my voice—no symmetry
In my poor legs; yet had your eye
Been pleased to mark my radiant train,
You might have spared detraction's vein.
For if these shanks which you traduce
Belonged to turkey or to goose,
Or had the voice still harsher been,
They had not been remarked or seen;
But Envy, unto beauties blind,
Seeks blemishes to soothe her mind."
So have we, in the midnight scene,
Seen purity with face serene
Awake the clamour of detraction
From jaundiced Envy's yellow faction.
Story DNA
Moral
Envy, blind to beauty, seeks out flaws in others to soothe its own discontent.
Plot Summary
A proud peacock displays his magnificent tail in a farmyard, drawing the envy and scorn of a turkey and a goose. The turkey criticizes his inner ugliness, and the goose mocks his legs and voice. The peacock calmly acknowledges his physical flaws but explains that the other birds only notice them because their envy of his beauty blinds them and compels them to seek imperfections, concluding with a universal moral about the nature of detraction.
Themes
Emotional Arc
criticism to self-defense to moral lesson
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay was a prominent English poet and fabulist, known for his satirical works and fables which often critiqued human follies through animal characters.
Plot Beats (7)
- A peacock is in a farmyard, admired and envied by other poultry.
- The peacock, proud of his inherited beauty, spreads his tail to show off.
- The turkey, filled with malice, criticizes the peacock's pride and suggests his feathers hide an ugly 'negro skin'.
- The goose adds to the criticism, mocking the peacock's 'hideous legs' and 'howling' voice.
- The peacock acknowledges his voice is harsh and his legs lack symmetry.
- The peacock explains that if his legs or voice belonged to a turkey or goose, they wouldn't be noticed.
- The peacock concludes that the other birds' detraction comes from envy, which is blind to beauty and seeks flaws.
Characters
The Peacock ★ protagonist
A large, majestic bird with a long, slender neck and a robust body. His most striking feature is his enormous, fan-like tail, which he can spread to display a dazzling array of iridescent feathers. Despite his magnificent plumage, his legs are described as 'hideous' and lacking symmetry, and his skin beneath the feathers is 'negro' (dark).
Attire: His natural plumage serves as his 'wardrobe' – a spectacular train of iridescent blue, green, and gold feathers, each tipped with an 'eye-spot' pattern. His body feathers are likely a rich, metallic blue-green.
Wants: To be admired for his beauty and to display his inherited glories.
Flaw: His pride in his appearance makes him vulnerable to the envy and criticism of others. He is aware of his physical flaws (legs, voice) which can be used against him.
He starts by seeking praise but learns to articulate a defense against envy, understanding that his flaws are only highlighted because of his beauty, not because they are inherently worse than others'.
Proud, confident, somewhat vain about his beauty, but also possesses a degree of self-awareness and philosophical insight. He is capable of defending himself verbally against criticism.
Image Prompt & Upload
A majestic male peafowl standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a small head with a crest of iridescent blue-green feathers, dark intelligent eyes, and a dark, almost black, skin tone beneath his feathers. His body is covered in rich, metallic blue-green feathers. His most prominent feature is his enormous, fan-like tail, spread wide, displaying a dazzling array of iridescent blue, green, and gold feathers, each tipped with a distinct 'eye-spot' pattern. His legs are dark, scaly, and somewhat thick, appearing less graceful than the rest of him. He holds his head high with a proud, confident expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Turkey ⚔ antagonist
A large, domestic fowl, likely with a stout body and a distinctive fleshy wattle and snood. His feathers are probably duller in comparison to the peacock, perhaps brown, black, or white.
Attire: His natural plumage, likely consisting of coarse, dark, or mottled feathers, lacking the iridescence of the peacock.
Wants: To diminish the peacock's beauty and pride, driven by envy.
Flaw: Overwhelming envy and a tendency to focus on superficial flaws, which blinds him to true beauty and his own shortcomings.
Remains unchanged, continuing to embody envy and detraction.
Malicious, envious, haughty, and quick to criticize. He focuses on the flaws of others to elevate himself.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large male domestic turkey standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a stout body covered in coarse, dark brown feathers. His head and upper neck are bare, red, and warty, with a prominent fleshy snood hanging over his beak. His eyes are small and beady, reflecting a malicious and critical expression. He stands with a puffed-up, rigid posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Goose ⚔ antagonist
A large, white domestic goose with a long neck and a plump body. Her legs are likely orange and webbed.
Attire: Her natural plumage of pristine white feathers, which she might consider superior in its simplicity to the peacock's extravagance.
Wants: To join in the criticism of the peacock, driven by envy and a desire to find fault.
Flaw: Her inability to appreciate beauty beyond her own narrow standards, leading to petty criticism.
Remains unchanged, continuing to embody envy and detraction.
Critical, judgmental, and envious. She focuses on specific physical flaws and harsh sounds, echoing the Turkey's malice.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large female domestic goose standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a plump body covered in pristine white feathers. Her neck is long and graceful, topped with a smooth white head, bright orange beak, and small, dark eyes. Her expression is one of critical judgment, with her beak slightly open as if to speak. She stands with a waddling posture, but her neck is held erect. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Farm-yard
A common farm-yard, likely with a mix of dirt and sparse grass, where various poultry roam and feed. The ground might be uneven, with small stones or patches of mud.
Mood: tense, judgmental, ordinary
The peacock displays its tail, provoking envy and criticism from the other birds.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rustic farm-yard scene under a clear morning sky. The ground is a mix of dry earth and sparse, trampled grass, with a few scattered grains of feed. In the background, a simple, weathered wooden fence encloses the yard, and perhaps a low, unadorned barn wall. Soft, even light illuminates the scene, casting short, subtle shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
