Aesop, in Rhyme - Aesop (best book club books of all time txt) 📗
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A lark who had her nest conceal'd,
Says Esop, in a barley field;
Began, as harvest time drew near,
The reaping of the corn to fear;
Afraid they would her nest descry,
Before her tender brood could fly.
She charged them therefore every day,
Before for food she flew away,
To watch the farmer in her stead,
And listen well to all he said.
It chanced one day, she scarce was gone,
Ere the farmer came and his son.
The farmer well his field survey'd,
And sundry observations made;
At last, "I'll tell you what," said he,
"This corn is fit to cut, I see;
But we our neighbor's help must borrow,
So tell them we begin to-morrow."
Just after this the lark returned,
When from her brood this news she learned.
"Ah! dearest mother," then, said they,
"Pray, let us all begone to-day."
"My dears," said she, "you need not fret,
I shall not be uneasy yet;
For if he waits for neighbor's aid,
The business long will be delay'd."
At dawn she left her nest once more,
And charged her young ones as before.
At five the farmer came again,
And waited for his friends in vain,
"Well," said the man, "I fancy, son,
These friends we can't depend upon;
To-morrow early, mind you go,
And let our own relations know."
Again the lark approach'd her nest,
When round her all her young ones press'd,
And told their mother, word for word,
The fresh intelligence they heard.
"Ah, children, be at ease," said she
"We're safe another day, I see;
For these relations, you will find,
Just like his friends, will stay behind."
At dawn again the lark withdrew,
And did again her charge renew.
Once more the farmer early came,
And found the case was just the same.
The day advanced, the sun was high;
But not a single help drew nigh.
Then said the farmer, "Hark ye, son—
I see this job will not be done,
While thus we wait for friends and neighbors;
So you and I'll commence our labors:
To-morrow early, we'll begin
Ourselves, and get our harvest in."
"Now," said the lark, when this she heard,
"Our movement must not be deferr'd;
For if the farmer and his son
Themselves begin, 'twill soon be done."
The morrow proved the lark was right;
For all was cut and housed by night.
MORAL.Hence, while we wait for other's aid,
Our business needs must be delay'd;
Which might be done with half the labor
'Twould take to go and call a neighbor.
A philosopher, proud of his wit and his reason,
Sat him under an oak in a hot summer season.
On the oak grew an acorn or two, it is said:
On the ground grew a pumpkin as big as his head.
Thought the sage, "What's the reason this oak is so strong
A few acorns to bear that are scarce an inch long;
While this poor feeble plant has a weight to sustain,
Which had much better hang on the tree, it is plain?"
But just at the time the philosopher spoke
An acorn dropp'd down on his head from the oak;
Then, said he, who just now thought his plan was so clever,
"I am glad that this was not a pumpkin, however."
MORAL.The sage would no doubt have looked grievously dull,
Had a pumpkin descended with force on his scull.
Of his folly then let us in future beware,
And believe that such matters are best as they are:
Leave the manners and customs of oak trees alone,
Of acorns, and pumpkins—and look to our own.
A wolf, once forgetting the size of his swallow,
Tried to pass a large marrow-bone through it.
"Oh dear," said the beast, thinking death was to follow,
"How careless and stupid to do it!"
His mouth was propp'd open by means of the bone,
And his breathing was greatly impeded,
But a crane coming up, he contrived to make known
What kind of assistance he needed.
"How d'ye do?" said the bird; said the beast, "Very ill,
For a bone has gone down the wrong way;
But if you can extract it by means of your bill,
The service I'll amply repay."
Thought the crane, "I'm no surgeon: yet all must agree,
That my bill will make excellent forceps;
And as for the money, I do not now see
Why I need refuse taking his worship's."
Said the bird, "It's agreed;" said his patient, "Proceed,
And take the bone hence, I beseech;"
Which, after awhile, and with infinite toil,
The crane at last managed to reach.
"Thank my stars!" said the beast, from his terrors released,
"Thank you too, sir," said he to the bird;
"Alas!" said the crane, "is this all I'm to gain,
I was waiting the promised reward."
Said the wolf, "You forget, I've contracted no debt,
Since the service was rendered by me;
Your head I releas'd from the jaws of a beast,
And now you're demanding a fee!"
MORAL.Give your help to a wolf, should he beg for your aid,
But you must not expect when you've done to be paid.
A dog growing thinner, for want of a dinner,
Once purloined him a joint from a tray,
"How happy I am, with this shoulder of lamb,"
Thought the cur as he trotted away.
But the way that he took, lay just over a brook,
Which he found it was needful to cross;
So without more ado, he plunged in to go through,
Not dreaming of danger or loss.
But what should appear, in this rivulet clear,
As he thought upon coolest reflection,
But a cur like himself, who with ill-gotten pelf,
Had run off in that very direction.
Thought the dog, a propos! but that instant let go
(As he snatched at this same water-spaniel)
The piece he possess'd:—so with hunger distress'd
He slowly walk'd home to his kennel.
MORAL.Hence, when we are needy, don't let us be greedy,
(Excuse me this line of digression,)
Lest in snatching at all, like the dog, we let fall
The good that we have in possession.
Two trav'llers one morning set out from their home,
It might be from Sparta, from Athens, or Rome;
It matters not which, but agreed, it is said,
Should danger arise, to lend each other aid.
But scarce was this done, when forth rushing amain,
Sprung a bear from a wood tow'rds these travellers twain;
Then one of our heroes, with courage immense,
Climb'd into a tree, and there found his defence.
The other fell flat to the earth with dread,
When the bear came and smelt him, and thought he was dead;
So not liking the carcase, away trotted he,
When straight our brave hero descended the tree.
Then, said he, "I can't think what the bear could propose,
When so close to your ear, he presented his nose."
"Why this," said the other, "he told me to do,
To beware for the future of cowards like you."
MORAL.Those people who run from their friends in distress,
Will be left when themselves are in trouble, I guess.
A Bull once treading near a bog,
Displaced the entrails of a frog,
Who near his foot did trust them;
In fact, so great was the contusion,
And made of his inwards such confusion,
No art could re-adjust them.
It chanced that some who saw his fate,
Did to a friend the deed relate,
With croakings, groans, and hisses;
"The beast," said they, "in size excell'd
All other beasts," their neighbors swell'd,
And ask'd, "as large as this is!"
"Oh, larger far than that," said they,
"Do not attempt it, madam, pray;"
But still the frog distended,
And said, "I'll burst, but I'll exceed,"
She tried, and burst herself indeed!
And so the matter ended.
MORAL.Should you with pride inflate and swell,
As did the frog: then who can tell!
Your sides may crack, as has been shown,
And we with laughing crack our own.
Some mice who saw fit, once a quarter to meet,
To arrange the concerns of their city;
Thought it needful to choose, as is common with us,
First a chairman, and then a committee.
When the chairman was seated, the object he stated
For which at that meeting they sat:
Which was, it should seem, the concerting a scheme
To defeat the designs of the cat.
Dr. Nibblecheese rose, and said, "I would propose,
To this cat we fasten a bell;
He who likes what I've said, now will hold up his head;
He who does not, may hold up his tail."
So out of respect, they their noses erect,
Except one who the order reversed;
Ayes, all then but one, but yet nought could be done,
Until he had his reasons rehearsed.
"I shall not," said this mouse, "waste the time of the house,
In long arguments; since, as I view it,
The scheme would succeed without doubt, if indeed
We could find any mouse who would do it."
"Hear! hear!" was the cry, and "no bells we will try,
Unless you will fasten them on;"
So quite broken-hearted the members departed,
For the bill was rejected nem. con.
MORAL.Then be not too hasty in giving advice,
Lest your schemes should remind of the council of mice;
You had better delay your opinion a year,
Than put forth a ridiculous one, it is clear.
A wolf and lamb once chanced to meet,
Beside a stream, whose waters sweet
Brought various kinds of beasts together,
When dry and sultry was the weather;
Now though the wolf came there to drink,
Of eating, he began to think,
As soon as near the lamb he came,
And straight resolved to kill the same;
Yet thought it better to begin,
With threat'ning words and angry mien.
"And so," said he, to him below,
"How dare you stir the water so?
Making the cool refreshing flood,
As brown as beer, and thick as mud."
"Sir," said the lamb, "that cannot be,
The water flows from you to me;
So, 'tis impossible, I think,
That what I do can spoil your drink."
"I say it does, you saucy puss:
How dare you contradict me thus;
But more than this, you idle clack,
You rail'd at me behind my back
Two years ago, I have been told;"
"How so? I'm not a twelvemonth old,"
The lamb replied; "So I suspect
Your honor is not quite correct."
"If not, your mother it must be,
And that comes all the same to me,"
Rejoined the wolf—who waited not
But kill'd and ate him on the spot.
MORAL.Some, like the wolf, adopt the plan,
To make a quarrel if they can;
But none with you can hold dispute,
If you're determined to be mute;
For sure this proverb must be true,
That ev'ry quarrel must have two.
This firm once existed, I'd have you to know,
Messrs. Lion, Wolf, Tiger, Fox, Leopard, and Co.;
These in business were join'd, and of course 'twas implied,
They their stocks should unite, and the profits divide.
Now the fable relates, it so happened one day,
That their efforts combined, made a bullock their prey:
But agreed that the Lion should make the division,
And patiently waited the monarch's decision.
"My friends," said the Lion, "I've parted, you see,
The whole into six, which is right, you'll agree;
One part I may claim, as my share in the trade."
"Oh, take it and welcome," they all of them said.
"I claim too the second; since no one denies
'Twas my courage and conduct that gained you the prize:
And
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