| Poem: |
A rooster once pursued a worm
that lingered not to brave him,
to see his wretched victim squirm
a pleasant thrill it gave him;
he summoned all his kith and kin,
they hastened up by legions,
with quaint, expressive gurgles in
their oesophageal regions.
Just then a kind of glimmering
attracting his attention,
the worm became too small a thing
for more than passing mention:
the throng of hungry hens and rude
he skilfully evaded.
Said he, "I' faith, if this be food,
I saw the prize ere they did."
it was a large and costly pearl,
belonging in a necklace,
and dropped by some neglectful girl:
some people are so reckless!
The cock assumed an air forlorn,
and cried, "it's really cruel.
I thought it was a grain of corn:
it's nothing but a jewel."
he turned again to where his clan
in one astounding tangle
with eager haste together ran
to slay the helpless angle,
and sighed, "he was of massive size.
I should have used discretion.
Too late! Around the toothsome prize
a bargain-sale's in session."
the worm's remarks upon his plight
have never been recorded,
but any one may know how slight
diversion it afforded;
for worms and human beings are
unanimous that, when pecked,
to be the prey of men they far
prefer to being hen-pecked.
The moral: when your dinner comes
don't leave it for your neighbors,
because you hear the sound of drums
and see the gleam of sabres;
or, like the cock, you'll find too late
that ornaments external
do not for certain indicate
a bona fide kernel.
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