The Selfridges Peacock clearly despises Mandy the fairy's sunny outlook and pretence of wings; but he has good reason to be snooty. His tail is made of real Peacock feathers. Though some of the Selfridges Peacock probably came from a now-dead chicken, its tail involved no cruelty. You don't have to kill a Peacock to get its feathers; you just have to wait for summer, and their annual moult when you can pick up their feaathers like jewels from the dust.

back to the tree · next branch



Photographs and tree-dressing by Jeremy Dennis

1