Visiting a country house one day I stopped to admire a Peacock displaying it's plumage, and could not help but to overhear a conversation between a young couple who had clearly stopped for the same reason.

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           The Eyes Of The Peacock

   

"Oh look Tony, isn't it stunning." the girl murmured, squeezing the hand that held hers as they watched, mesmerised by the display before them.

      "Wonderful Julie." replied the young man as together they watched the Peacock, first vibrating its huge tail feathers then spreading them to their full extent. "What wonderful colours, and just look at all those markings," he said, "just like hundreds of eyes."

      "I think they're a bit scary! Julie exclaimed, "all those eyes looking at me at the same time."

      "I can see what you mean, but did you know that Peacock's weren't always like that? Once they were plain and dowdy; nothing like what we see now."

      After a short pause Julie muttered, "It's like a shimmering screen full of eyes." And then she asked, "How do you know. How did they change from plain and dowdy to this?"

      "Do you mean you don't know? I thought everyone knew that."

      "Ah well," Julie smiled sweetly, "We're not all clever clogs like you."

      "Shall I tell you then?"

      "Please do kind sir." she replied, applying a gentle touch of her finger under her chin, and with just a slight bend of the knees she curtsied. Then she finished this little pantomime with a firm if gentle slap on his behind.

 

At this point I was ready to move on but I had started to enjoy the conversation between these two young people and also I was curious to know how ‘the leopard had indeed changed it spots’. So I fiddled with my camera and pretended to wait so that I could take a picture of the bird in full display - - - and surreptitiously I listened while Tony expounded.

 

"Well," he started. "Of all the gods in Greek mythology, the most powerful one was called Zeus. He was number one, the top dog."

      "Don't you mean 'top god'." Julie interrupted, neatly reversing the name.

      "Very clever." Tony conceded with just a hint of irritation. "Now listen or I won't tell you the story."

      "Sorry sir!"

      "Now Zeuss' wife was called Hera, and Hera was pretty fed up with her husband because of his fondness for the ladies. In fact legend has it that half the junior gods in those times were his offspring."

      At this Julie laughed out loud. "Typical. You're all the same, men or gods there's no difference."

      She half turned and looked towards me, perhaps looking for some support from a number of people who seemed to have gathered.

      Then Tony frowned. "Are you going to listen to me or not.?"

      "Sorry; carry on."

      "Thank you." Tony waited a few moments before he continued. "Well; Hera had decided that enough was enough and that she would have to teach him a lesson. Now Zeus, because he was the most powerful god around thought that he could pretty much do as he liked so it was brave of Hera to confront him."

      "Good on her I say." Julie said, risking further admonishment, but a look from Tony persuaded her to leave it at that.

      Tony continued. "Yes, well; like some of the other ladies in that mysterious world of god and goddesses Hera was a bit headstrong and not prepared to be humiliated."

      "Quite right too."

      This time Tony ignored Julie's interruption. "So she set out her plan. Now Hera happened to know - in fact everyone knew - that "Io' was the young goddess for whom Zeuss' current passion raged, so she let it be known to all and sundry that she was going to follow them everywhere to prevent them getting together to do . . . " here Tony paused and gave Julie a sideways glance - which she ignored . . . "what lovers do."

      "She was brave then wasn't she?" Julie smiled, but this time Tony accepted the interruption.

      "Don't forget that Hera was also a god. Less powerful of course than Zeus but she did have a 'bit of pull'. But anyway, back to the story. Hera's plan seemed to have worked for there were no reports of any extramarital activities for a while. Then word reached her that that Zeus, whenever he fancied a bit of 'you know what' had taken to transforming himself into a bull, as only gods can, and 'Io' into a cow. This had fooled Hera for a while, but when she did find out she was furious. I mean furious."

 

"The randy bugger." I said, quite forgetting that I was not party to this conversation and I was a touch abashed when they both turned to face me. I had long since given up my pretence of snapping the peacock, partly because I had a dozen shots of it already and because my camera was hanging by my side as I listened intently. "Sorry," I said. "couldn't help overhearing, but I can understand why she might be cross."

 

      "And so can I." Julie retorted, "but it's Io I feel sorry for. I mean, out in the open and all that."

      Tony turned his gaze from me back to Julie. "Am I telling this story or not?" he asked, clearly a little irritated.

      Julie purred. "Sorry my love, but I am getting into your story." keen to placate her young man.

 

"Me too." I nodded.

 

      "Well try not to interrupt so much."

      "Yes dear." Julie demurred.

 

“Yes d...” I knew that was a step too far so I raised my hand a little in acquiescence, and while Tony did not quite acknowledge my gesture something in his expression told me that I had been accepted. We were now a threesome.

 

      "OK, where did I get to. Oh yes; Zeus had been caught out; up to his tricks again; can I carry on now."

      Julie smiled sweetly and Tony continued. "So when Hera found out that her husband was still enjoying the favours of 'Io' she sought the help of one of her 'god' friends call Argus. Now Argus was a very large man, a giant some would say, but there was something else. He had one hundred pairs of eyes. And that was not all. With all those eyes he never slept, for you see that at any given time at least some of his eyes were open."

     

Tony paused, perhaps expecting a comment, looking first at Julie and then at me. But there were none especially from me. Now I was 'in' I wasn't going to risk it."

​

Undaunted he continued. "So Hera asked Argus to camp in the field night or day while 'Io', disguised as a cow was grazing, reminding him always to stay close thereby preventing any hanky-panky when Zeus the bull came trotting along.

      Now Zeus - King of all the gods don't forget - soon got pretty tired of this. He wasn't going to put up with being deprived of his bonus, especially as it was his wife who was causing him all this grief. So he called one of his mates named Hermes. He was the one with the magic flute and he was instructed to take his place next to Argus and play his most soporific music. It was a brilliant move for Argus, despite all of his eyes, and the fact that had not needed sleep for hundreds of years could not resist the sleep inducing music. One by one his eyes closed until only one remained open. At this point Zeus entered the field, his nostrils flaring and tail swishing, intent on claiming his prize. And at the very moment that Argus's last lid closed and sleep enveloped him Zeus vigorously obliged 'Io' before changing back to human form. At once he drew his sword and with one mighty swing chopped off the head of the sleeping giant."

 

"It was an unexpected twist which I admit took me by surprise and Julie jumped up as if from sleep herself. Indeed, so engrossed had she become as the story unfolded that I wondered if Hermes had somehow influenced her. Now she was awake with a start. And I must say it quite startled me as well."

 

"Oh how awful," she cried. "what a horrible end. Why did you have to go and spoil it?"

      "Hang on." Tony protested. "I didn't write this story, and anyway it isn't over yet."

      "Well I hope there aren't going to be any more shocks like that." she said.

 

Somewhat to my surprise she looked at me for some support but I was saved by Tony who, despite Julie's outburst seemed keen to continue."

 

"Be patient my sweet, I'm nearly there." he whispered as he moved toward the end of his narrative.

 

"I could not help but be aware that Tony was enjoying himself now, almost certainly aware of an ever growing number of people standing around who apparently were in no hurry to move on."

 

"When Hera heard what had happened," he commenced, "she summoned that a pair of Peafowl be brought to her, the very last surviving pair in the whole world. While the body of her dear friend was still warm she opened each of his eyes and carefully transferred them to the tail feathers of the mail bird. She then ordered that there would be many offspring to fly far and wide so that Argus would never be forgotten. Furthermore she decreed that as a reward for carrying the extra burden of all those eyes from then on when the Peacock sought the acquiescence of the Peahen those eyes would hypnotize her into blissful submission. The female however would retain her natural muted appearance to reflect the mourning than Hera would endure for the rest of her life,

 

"At this point Tony stopped and I saw him looking around and I was surprised, though I think not he, to discover that he had acquired a quite substantial audience, and for the first time he addressed not only Julie, and not only Julie and me but all those who had gathered. It was almost as though we had all acquired free tickets for a show."

 

"And now you all know how the Peacock got its eyes." he continued, and thinking the story was over Julie prepared to speak but was stopped when Tony placed his fingers on her lips.

      "Not quite finished my love." Then he moved on to his final chapter. "And so it was ever thus, for when all the creatures of the male gender of all the animals on the land; and the birds in the sky; and the fish in the sea; saw how well it attracted the Peahens they decided that they too should brighten themselves up a little bit. And that is why since those days in so many species on this earth, that the most colourful, the most brilliant, the most stunning, the most magnificent, the most glorious, the most sensational . . . are the males,"

 

"At this there were gasps from the crowd and then laughter as Julie set about Tony with her handbag and I judged that perhaps it might be prudent for me to take my leave.

I mean, he did lay it on a bit don't you think?.

Oh, and by the way, I did get some very nice pictures."