The Jay Dressed in Peacock's Plumes

"The Jay Dressed in Peacock's Plumes" is a fable by Jean De La Fontaine that recounts the tale of a jay bird who adorns himself with the feathers of a peacock, hoping to impersonate the more majestic bird and gain respect and admiration. Unfortunately, the jay's ruse is discovered, leading to his ridicule. The story is a timeless moral lesson about authenticity, showing that pretending to be something you are not only leads to embarrassment and scorn.

• Fable

								
A Peacock having moulted, the sly Jay
Put on the thrown-off plumage with delight;
Amongst some other Peacocks found his way,
And thought himself a fascinating sight.
At last the would-be beau got recognised,
A charlatan, in borrowed plumes equipt--
And laughed at, scouted, hustled, and despised,
Of all his second-hand attire got stript;
Returning to his friends, abashed and poor,
They most politely showed him to the door.
Two-footed Jays are anything but rare,
Who live on facts and fancies not their own;
But these are, luckily, not my affair,
So let me leave the plagiarists alone.


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