The Workman and Fortune
Close to a well a workman slept one night,
Unwittingly. But Fortune met his sight.
He seem'd to hear: "What ho, there, sirrah, wake!
Lest of thy tumble I the blame should take
Among mankind, and earn an uglier name;
For each man's trips and haps I bear the blame,
Howe'er his own the fault, 'tis just the same."
The Driver and the Wagon
Strong bulls to town upon their shoulders drew
A four-wheel'd wain. Its creakings were not few.
Then was the driver wroth, and, drawing near,
He spoke so plain it could not choose but hear.
"Thou worst of goods, will not thy groaning cease,
"Though they whose shoulders draw thee, hold their peace?"
It is a base man's way to raise a moan,
As if the toil of others were his own!
The Wolves and the Sheep
The wolf-tribe sent the flock an embassy,
And proffer'd oaths of peace and amity.
The terms were that the dogs should be disgraced,
Who caused the feud now sought to be effaced.
The sheep, weak, silly creatures, were disposed
To scout old friends. An old ram interposed,
And said, his thick wool bristling from below,
"A novel mediation this, I trow!"
How, if unguarded, am I safe with you,
When even now my perils are not few,
Though, while I feed, I keep my watch-dog true?"
The Lizard
'Tis said a lizard burst its back in twain
In vain attempts a dragon's size t' attain.
Hurt to thyself will be thy certain fate,
If men far higher thou shouldst imitate.
The Woman and her Maidservants
A very careful dame, of busy way,
Kept maids at home, and these, ere break of day,
She used to rouse as early as cock-crow.
They thought 'twas hard to be awaken'd so,
And o'er wool-spinning be at work so long;
Hence grew within them all a purpose strong
To kill the house-cock, whom they thought to blame
For all their wrongs. But no advantage came.
Worse treatment than the former them befell;
For when the hour their mistress could not tell
At which by night the cock was wont to crow,
She roused them earlier, to their work to go.
A harder lot the wretched maids endured.
Bad judgment oft hath such results procured.
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