Aeroplanes | Page 3

accent rough,
"Is not your pottage hot
enough?"
"Yes," said the man, "full well I know it,
'Tis far too hot,
that's why I blow it."
"You artful villain! do you so?"
His host
replied, with angry brow;
"My cave shall not a moment hold
A man
that blows both hot and cold!
By none but rogues can that be done,

You double-dealing wretch, begone!"
MORAL.
The traveller scarce deserved such wrath,
For warming
fingers--cooling broth.
No statutes old or new forbid it,
Although
with the same mouth he did it:
Yet this beware of old and young,

What Esop meant--a _double tongue_;
Which flatters now with civil

clack,
And slanders soon behind one's back.
[Illustration]
THE TRAVELLERS AND THE PURSE.
Two friends once were walking in sociable chat,
When a purse one
espied on the ground;
"Oh, see!" said he, (thank my fortune for that,)

"What a large sum of money I've found!"
"Nay, do not say _I_" said his friend, "for you know
'Tis but
friendship to share it with me;"
"I share it with you," said the other.
"How so?
He who _found_ it the owner should be."
"Be it so," said his friend, "but what sound do I hear?
'Stop thief!' one
is calling to you;
He comes with a constable close in the rear!"
Said
the other, "Oh, what shall we do?"
"Nay, do not say _we_," said his friend, "for you know
You claimed
the sole right to the prize!
And since all the _money_ was taken by
you,
With you the _dishonesty_ lies."
MORAL.
When people are selfish, dishonest, and mean,
Their nature, in
dealing, will quickly be seen.
[Illustration]
THE MOUTH AND THE LIMBS.
In days of yore, they say, 'twas then
When all things spoke their mind;

The arms and legs of certain men,
To treason felt inclined.
These arms and legs together met,
As snugly as they could,
With
knees and elbows, hands and feet,
In discontented mood.

Said they, "'Tis neither right nor fair,
Nor is there any need,
To
labor with such toil and care,
The greedy mouth to feed."
"This we're resolved no more to do,
Though we so long have done it;"

"Ah!" said the knees and elbows too,
"And we are bent upon it."
"I," said the tongue, "may surely speak,
Since I his inmate am;
And
for his vices while you seek,
His virtues I'll proclaim.
"You say the mouth embezzles all,
The fruit of your exertion;
But I
on this assembly call
To prove the base assertion.
"The food which you with labor gain,
He too with labor chews;
Nor
does he long the food retain,
But gives it for your use.
"But he his office has resign'd
To whom you may prefer;
He begs
you therefore now to find
Some other treasurer."
"Well, be it so," they all replied;
"His wish shall be obeyed;
We
think the hands may now be tried
As treasurers in his stead."
The hands with joy to this agreed,
And all to them was paid;
But
they the treasure kept indeed,
And no disbursements made.
Once more the clam'rous members met,
A lean and hungry throng;

When all allowed, from head to feet,
That what they'd done was
wrong.
To take his office once again,
The mouth they all implored;
Who
soon accepted it, and then
Health was again restored.
MORAL.
This tale for state affairs is meant,
Which we need not discuss;
At
present we will be content,
To find a moral thus:

The mouth has claims of large amount,
From arms, legs, feet, and
hands;
But let them not, on that account,
Pay _more_ than it
demands.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE.
Said a hare to a tortoise, "Good sir, what a while
You have been only
crossing the way;
Why I really believe that to go half a mile,
You
must travel two nights and a day."
"I am very contented," the creature replied,
"Though I walk but a
tortoise's pace,
But if you think proper the point to decide,
We will
run half a mile in a race."
"Very good," said the hare; said the tortoise, "Proceed,
And the fox
shall decide who has won,"
Then the hare started off with incredible
speed;
But the tortoise walk'd leisurely on.
"Come tortoise, friend tortoise, walk on," said the hare,
"Well, I shall
stay here for my dinner;
Why, 'twill take you a month, at that rate, to
get there,
Then how can you hope to be winner?"
But the tortoise could hear not a word that she said
For he was far
distant behind;
So the hare felt secured while at leisure she fed,
And
took a sound nap when she dined.
So at last this slow walker came up with the hare,
And there fast
asleep did he spy her;
And he cunningly crept with such caution and
care,
That she woke not, although he pass'd by her.
"Well now," thought the hare, when she open'd her eyes,
"For the
race,--and I soon shall have done it;"
But who can describe her

chagrin and surprise,
When she found that the _tortoise_ had won it!
MORAL.
Thus plain plodding people, we often shall find,
Will leave hasty
confident people behind.
[Illustration]
THE MILKMAID.
A milkmaid, who poized a full pail on her head,
Thus mused on her
prospects in life,