Which object fits the riddle I have three eyes but only one leg, and I still close one even if you beg. What am I?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle uses imaginative language to describe a very familiar object in a surprising way. The clues three eyes and one leg at first suggest a living creature, perhaps from a fantasy story. However, the additional hint that it can close one eye even if you beg points to something mechanical or automatic that does not respond to human requests. Many puzzle books and reasoning tests use this riddle to encourage students to see ordinary objects, especially in traffic and daily life, from a poetic angle.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The object has three eyes. - It has only one leg. - It can close one eye without reacting to begging or requests. - The answer is likely to be a non living object that people see frequently.

Concept / Approach:
In many countries, a standard traffic light has three circular lights arranged vertically: red, amber and green. These can be imagined as three eyes looking at the road. The traffic light is often mounted on a single pole, which can be described as one leg. When the signal changes from green to red or from red to green, one light turns off and another turns on. This change can be described poetically as closing one eye and opening another. The system runs on timers or sensors, not on human requests, so it ignores any begging from drivers to change faster. This creative mapping of clues to a traffic signal solves the riddle.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Interpret eyes not as biological eyes but as circular lights or lenses. 2. Look for a common object with three round lights that serve as signals. 3. Recall that a standard traffic light has red, amber and green signals arranged vertically. 4. Note that many traffic lights are mounted on a single upright pole, which matches the clue one leg. 5. Recognise that when a light switches off, it is similar to closing an eye, regardless of human pleading.

Verification / Alternative check:
Visualise a traffic junction. There is a tall pole with a rectangular or vertical housing containing three circular lights. At any time, one light is on and the other two are off. As traffic phases change, one light goes off and another turns on, strongly resembling eyes that open and close. Drivers may wish the light would change quickly, but the traffic system operates according to fixed rules, not to their emotional appeals. None of the other options in the question, such as a stool or a tripod camera, naturally has three independent eyes that open and close in this way.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A one legged stool stands on one leg but has no eyes, so it does not match the first clue. A strange alien creature is not a specific everyday object and is not suitable for a standard reasoning question. A camera on a tripod might be said to have one eye, not three, and its tripod has three legs, not one. A peacock feather may resemble an eye in its pattern but does not have three separate eyes or a single leg. Only the traffic light on a pole satisfies all parts of the riddle together.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners get stuck on the idea that eyes must be biological and spend time imagining monsters rather than thinking about devices. Others focus only on the one leg clue and forget to account for the three eyes. A good general strategy for riddles is to list all the clues and make sure your answer satisfies every one of them, not just one or two. When you do this systematically here, the traffic light emerges as the only efficient solution.

Final Answer:
The object described as having three eyes and one leg, which closes one eye according to its automatic programme, is a traffic light on a pole.