Aeroplanes | Page 7

immense,
And shook his head to cast him thence.
"You rascal,

what are you about,"
Said he, when he had turned him out.
"I'll
teach you soon," the lion said,
"To make a mouse-hole in my head!"

So saying, he prepared his foot,
To crush the trembling tiny brute;

But he, the mouse, with tearful eye,
Implored the lion's clemency,

Who thought it best at least to give
His little pris'ner a reprieve.

'Twas nearly twelve months after this,
The lion chanced his way to
miss;
When pressing forward: heedless yet,
He got entangled in a
net.
With dreadful rage he stamp'd and tore,
And straight
commenced a lordly roar;
When the poor mouse who heard the noise,

Attended, for she knew his voice.
Then what the lion's utmost
strength
Could not effect, she did at length:
With patient labor she
applied
Her teeth, the net-work to divide;
And so at last forth issued
he,
A _lion_, by a mouse set free.
MORAL.
Few are so small or weak, I guess,
But may assist us in distress;

Nor shall we ever, if we're wise,
The meanest, or the least, despise.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE JEALOUS ASS.
"There lived," says friend Esop, "some ages ago,
An ass who had
feelings acute, you must know;
This ass to be jealous, felt strongly
inclined,
And for reasons which follow, felt hurt in his mind."
It seems that his master, as I understand,
Had a favorite dog which he
fed from his hand.
Nay, the dog was permitted to jump on his knee:

An honor that vex'd our poor donkey to see.
"Now," thought he, "what's the reason, I cannot see any,
That I have
no favors, while he has so many?
If all this is got by just wagging his

tail,
Why _I_ have got one, which I'll wag without fail."
So the donkey resolved to try what he could do
And, determined
unusual attentions to show,
When his master was dining, came into
the room.
"Good sir!" said his friends, "why your donkey is come!"
"Indeed!" said their host, great astonishment showing,
When he saw
the ass come, while his tail was a-going;
But who can describe his
dismay or fear,
When the donkey rear'd up, and bray'd loud in his ear!
"You rascal get down,--John, Edward, or Dick!
Where are you? make
haste, and come here with a stick."
The man roared--the guests
laugh'd--the dog bark'd--the bell rung: Coals, poker, and tongs, at the
donkey were flung,
Till the blows and the kicks, with combined demonstration,

Convinced him that this was a bad speculation;
So, mortified deeply,
his footsteps retrod he,
Hurt much in his mind, but still more in his
body.
MORAL.
So some silly children, as stupid as may be,
Will cry for indulgences
fit for a baby.
Had they enter'd the room while the donkey withdrew,

They'd have seen their own folly and punishment too:
Let them
think of this fable, and what came to pass;
Nor forget, he who play'd
this fine game was _an ass_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE TOWN AND COUNTRY MICE.
A plain, but honest, country mouse,
Residing in a miller's house;

Once, on a time, invited down
An old acquaintance of the town:


And soon he brought his dainties out;
The best he had there's not a
doubt.
A dish of oatmeal and green peas,
With half a candle, and
some cheese;
Some beans, and if I'm not mistaken,
A charming
piece of Yorkshire bacon.
And then to show he was expert
In such
affairs, a fine dessert
Was next produced, all which he press'd,
With
rustic freedom, on his guest.
But he, the city epicure,
This homely fare could not endure
Indeed
he scarcely broke his fast
By what he took, but said, at last,
"Old
crony, now, I'll tell you what:
I don't admire this lonely spot;
This
dreadful, dismal, dirty hole,
Seems more adapted for a mole
Than
'tis for you; Oh! could you see
_My_ residence, how charm'd you'd
be.
Instead of bringing up your brood
In wind, and wet, and
solitude,
Come bring them all at once to town,
We'll make a
courtier of a clown.
I think that, for your children's sake,
'Tis proper
my advice to take."
"Well," said his host, "I can but try,
And so
poor quiet hole good bye!"
Then off they jogg'd for many a mile,
Talking of splendid things the
while;
At last, in town, they all arrived--
Found where the city
mouse had lived--
Entered at midnight through a crack,
And rested
from their tedious track.
"Now," said the city mouse, "I'll show
What kind of fare I've brought
you to:"
On which he led the rustic mice
Into a larder, snug and
nice,
Where ev'ry thing a mouse could relish,
Did ev'ry shelf and
nook embellish.
"Now is not this to be preferr'd
To your green peas?" "Upon my word,

It is," the country mouse replied,

"All this must needs the point
decide."
Scarce had they spoke these words, when, lo!
A tribe of servants
hasten'd through,
And also two gigantic cats,
Who spied our

country mouse and brats.
Then, by a timely exit, she
Just saved
herself and family.
"Oh, ask me not," said she in haste,
"Your tempting dainties more to
taste;
I much prefer my homely peas,
To splendid dangers such as
these."
MORAL.
Then let not those begin to grumble,
Whose lot is safe, though