Aesop, in Rhyme, page 60 by Marmaduke Park
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He might have any weather that he chose.
Behold! as soon as he but yawns, it blows
Or rains, or is quite clear.
His neighbors, even the most near,
Are not affected by these changes.
In usual route, their weather ranges;
They have good crops,
But he had none.
At last when tired, he began
Complaining unto Jupiter.
The next year the same thing,
Changes of weather he can bring--
And the neighbors no more
Than the Americans,
Are troubled by the farming
Of his lands.
At last tired out, with all his strife in vain,
He yields his power to the God of rain;
Acknowledging, that all along
The god did right,
And he did wrong.
MORAL.
Let us conclude that Providence
For man ordains much better than we can.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE COCK, THE CAT, AND THE
LITTLE MOUSE.
A young mouse, who had nothing seen,
Was nearly caught; You shall hear how
He told his mother the adventure--
He said, "Pray, listen, now:
I started out to frolic at a venture,
When two fine animals appeared
Before my eyes,
And filled me with surprise.
One was soft, benign, and sweet,
The other, turbulent, and full of inquietude,
Had a loud voice, piercing and rude,
And on his head a piece of flesh.
A sort of arm raised him up in the air,
As though to fly out of a mesh--
His tail was spread out like a fan."
Now it was a cock of which our little mouse,
Made to his mother this fine picture,
Describing him like an enthusiast.
"He beat," said he, "his flanks,
With his two arms,
Making such a noise and such a din,
That, frightened half to death,
I hurried in.
Although I pique myself upon my courage
And heartily I cursed him in my heart,
For but for him, I'd taken part,
In conversation with the gentle creature,
Who my advances would encourage.
She is velvety, like us