The Peacock Complaining to Juno

A peacock complains to Juno, queen of heaven, that his harsh voice makes him the object of other birds’ laughter, while the insignificant nightingale is honoured for her sweet song. Juno angrily rebukes him for envying the nightingale despite possessing a richly coloured neck, graceful form, proud bearing, and splendid tail that outshines jewels. She declares that no creature can excel in every gift: the hawk has speed, the eagle courage, the raven serves as an omen, and the rook foretells misfortune. Ordering the peacock to stop his envious complaint, Juno threatens to strip him of his admired plumage rather than compensate for his lack of song.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Literature, Moral Allegory · 405 words

First lines

The peacock[1] to the queen of heaven / Complain'd in some such words: -- / 'Great goddess, you have given / To me, the laughing-stock of birds, / A voice which fills, by taste quite just, / All nature with disgust; / Whereas that little paltry thing, / The nightingale, pours from her throat / So sweet and ravishing a note, / She bears alone the honours of the spring.'

[1]: The peacock was consecrated to Juno the "Queen of Heaven," and was under her protection.

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The Peacock Complaining to Juno is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Fable
• Author: Jean de La Fontaine
• Date: 1668 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fable, Didactic Literature, Moral Allegory, Animal Tale, Mythological Poetry
• Length: 405 words
• Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Similar titles

• The Raven And The Fox by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Raven Wishing To Imitate The Eagle by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Grasshopper And The Ant by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Frog That Wished To Be As Big As The Ox by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Lion And The Ass Hunting by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Members And The Belly by Jean De La Fontaine

Genres

• Fable — The poem uses talking animals, a divine figure, and a concise moral lesson to condemn envy and teach that every creature has different gifts.
• Didactic Literature — Its central purpose is instructional: Juno explains that no being can excel in every quality and that each should accept its proper share of advantages.
• Moral Allegory — The peacock's jealousy of the nightingale allegorically represents human envy, vanity, dissatisfaction, and failure to value one's own strengths.
• Animal Tale — Birds serve as the principal characters, with the peacock and nightingale embodying recognizable traits through animal personification.

Tags

fable · verse fable · French classical literature · seventeenth century · mythological setting · Juno · queen of heaven · peacock · nightingale · talking animals · birds · envy

More by Jean de La Fontaine

• To Monseigneur the Dauphin (1668)
• The Grasshopper and the Ant (1668)
• The Raven and the Fox (1668)
• The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox (1668)
• The Two Mules (1668)
• The Wolf and the Dog (1668)
• The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion (1668)
• The Wallet (1668)
• All works by Jean de La Fontaine