LITMIR.BIZ

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his two feet essay’d:

      And, as he highly of it thought,

      He to the Monkey cried,

      “How’s that?” who, being better taught,

      “ ’Tis very bad,” replied.

      “I do believe,” rejoin’d the Bear,

      “You little favour show:

      For have I not a graceful air,

      And step with ease to go?”

      A Hog, that was beside them set,

      Cried, “Bravo! good!” said he;

      “A better dancer never yet

      I saw, and ne’er shall see.”

      On this the Bear, as if he turn’d

      His thoughts within his mind,

      With modest gesture seeming learn’d

      A lesson thence to find.

      “When blamed the Monkey, it was cause

      Enough for doubting sad;

      But when I have the hog’s applause,

      It must be very bad!”

      As treasured gift, let authors raise

      This moral from my verse:

      ’Tis bad, when wise ones do not praise;

      But when fools do, ’tis worse.

      THE ASS AND THE FLUTE.

      This little fable heard,

      It good or ill may be;

      But it has just occurr’d,

      Thus accidentally.

      Passing my abode,

      Some fields adjoining me,

      A big Ass on his road

      Came accidentally;

      And laid upon the spot,

      A Flute he chanced to see,

      Some shepherd had forgot,

      There accidentally.

      The animal in front,

      To scan it nigh came he,

      And snuffing loud as wont,

      Blew accidentally.

      The air it chanced around

      The pipe went passing free,

      And thus the Flute a sound

      Gave accidentally.

      “O! then,” exclaim’d the Ass,

      “I know to play it fine;

      And who for bad shall class

      The music asinine?”

      Without the rules of art,

      Ev’n asses, we agree,

      May once succeed in part,

      Thus accidentally.

      THE TWO RABBITS.

      Some shrubs amidst to shun

      The dogs he saw pursue,

      I will not call it run,

      But say a rabbit flew.

      From out his hiding-place

      A neighbour came to see,

      And said, “Friend, wait a space:

      What may the matter be?”

      “What should it be?” he cried;

      “I breathless came in fear,

      Because that I espied

      Two scoundrel greyhounds near.”

      “Yes,” said the other, “far

      I see them also there;

      But those no greyhounds are!”

      “What?”—“Setters, I’ll declare.”

      “How, setters do you say?

      My grandad just as much!

      They are greyhounds, greyhounds, they;

      I saw them plainly such.”

      “They are setters; get along:

      What know you of these matters?”—

      “They are greyhounds; you are wrong:”—

      “I tell you they are setters.”

      The dogs while they engage

      In these contentious habits,

      Come up, and vent their rage

      On my two thoughtless rabbits.

      Who minor points affect,

      So much about to quarrel,

      And weightier things neglect,

      Let them take the moral.

      THE LAMB AND HIS TWO ADVISERS.

      A farm there was, with a poultry-yard,

      Where roved an old bantam about;

      And laid at his ease, a pig was barr’d

      In a sty close by without.

      A lamb moreover was raised up there;

      We know it does so befall:

      Together in farms these animals fare,

      And in good company all.

      “Well, with your leave,” said the pig one day

      To the lamb, “what a happy life!

      And healthful too, to be sleeping away,

      One’s time without cares or strife!

      “I say there is nothing, as I am a pig,

      Like sleeping, stretch’d out at ease;

      Let the world go round with its whirligig,

      And cares just as it may please.”

      The other the contrary chanced to tell

      The same little lamb, to take heed;

      “Look, innocent! here, to live right well,

      Sleep very little indeed.

      “Summer or winter, early to rise

      With the stars the practice seek;

      For sleeping the senses stupefies,

      And leaves you languid and weak.”

      Confused, the poor lamb the counsels compares,

      And cannot perceive in his mind,

      That contrary each advising declares,

      But how he himself is inclined.

      And thus we find authors the practice make,

      To hold, as infallibly true,

      The rules they fancy themselves to take,

      And in their own writings pursue.

      THE FLINT AND THE STEEL.

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