LXXXIX THE FOX AND THE CAT. The fox and the cat, as they travelled one day, “'Tis great” said the fox “to make justice our guide!” "How god-like is mercy!" Grimalkin replied. Whilst thus they proceeded, a wolf from the wood, "In vain, wretched victim, for mercy you bleat, "What a wretch" says the cat "'tis the vilest of brutes; Does he feed upon flesh when there's herbage and roots? Cries the fox, "While our oaks give us acorns so good, What a tyrant is this to spill innocent blood!" Well, onward they marched, and they moralized still, And made, spite of morals, a pullet his prize. A mouse too, that chanced from her covert to stray, A spider that sat in her web on the wall Perceived the poor victims, and pitied their fall; CUNNINGHAM. XC THE TOY OF THE GIANT'S CHILD. Burg Niedeck is a mountain in Alsace, high and strong, The giant's daughter once came forth the castle-gate before, And played, with all a child's delight, beside her father's door; Then sauntering down the precipice, the girl did gladly go, To see, perchance, how matters went in the little world below. With few and easy steps she passed the mountain and the wood, At length near Haslach, at the place where mankind dwelt, she stood; And many a town and village fair, and many a field so green, Before her wondering eyes appeared, a strange and curious scene. R And as she gazed, in wonder lost, on all the scene around, The little creature crawled about so slowly here and there, And, lighted by the morning sun, his plough shone bright and fair. 66 Oh, pretty plaything!" cried the child, "I'll take thee home with me," Then with her infant hands she spread her kerchief on her knee, And cradling horse, and man, and plough, all gently on her arm, She bore them home with cautious steps, afraid to do them harm! She hastes with joyous steps and quick (we know what children are), And spying soon her father out, she shouted from afar : Her father sat at table then, and drank his wine so mild, And smiling with a parent's smile, he asked the happy child, "What struggling creature hast thou brought so carefully to me? Thou leap'st for very joy, my girl; come, open, let us see.' She opes her kerchief carefully, and gladly you may deem, And shows her eager sire the plough, the peasant, and his team; And when she'd placed before his sight the new found pretty toy, She clasped her hands, and screamed aloud, and cried for very joy. But her father looked quite seriously, and shaking slow his head, "What hast thou brought me home, my child? This is no toy," he said; "Go, take it quickly back again, and put it down below; The peasant is no plaything, girl,-how could'st thou think him so? "So go, without a sigh or sob, and do my will," he said; "For know, without the peasant, girl, we none of us had bread: 'Tis from the peasant's hardy stock the race of giants are ; The peasant is no plaything, child- no- -God forbid he were!" From the German of Chamisso. XCI REPORT OF AN ADJUDGED CASE. Between Nose and Eyes a strange contest arose, So Tongue was the lawyer, and argued the cause "In behalf of the Nose it will quickly appear, And your lordship," he said, " will undoubtedly find, That the Nose has had spectacles always in wear, Which amounts to possession time out of mind." Then holding the spectacles up to the court "Your lordship observes they are made with a straddle, As wide as the ridge of the nose is; in short, Designed to sit close to it, just like a saddle. "Again-would your lordship a moment suppose· ('Tis a case that has happened, and may be again) That the visage or countenance had not a nose Pray who would, or who could, wear spectacles then? "On the whole, it appears, and my argument shows, Then shifting his side, (as a lawyer knows how,) For the court did not think they were equally wise. |