A man, whom I shall call an ass-eteer, His sceptre like some Roman emperor bearing, Drove on two coursers of protracted ear, The one, with sponges laden, briskly faring; The other lifting legs...
WHO knows the world will never feel surprise, When men are duped by artful women's eyes; Though death his weapon freely will unfold; Love's pranks, we find, are ever ruled by gold....
A blundering bat once stuck her head Into a wakeful weasel's bed; Whereat the mistress of the house, A deadly foe of rats and mice, Was making ready in a trice...
The weasels live, no more than cats, On terms of friendship with the rats; And, were it not that these Through doors contrive to squeeze Too narrow for their foes,...
A certain mountain bear, unlick'd and rude, By fate confined within a lonely wood, A new Bellerophon,[2] whose life, Knew neither comrade, friend, nor wife, -...
Two fellows, needing funds, and bold, A bearskin to a furrier sold, Of which the bear was living still, But which they presently would kill - At least they said they would....
A bird, with plum'd arrow shot, In dying case deplored her lot: 'Alas!' she cried, 'the anguish of the thought! This ruin partly by myself was brought! Hard-hearted men! from us to borrow...
A bitch, that felt her time approaching, And had no place for parturition, Went to a female friend, and, broaching Her delicate condition, Got leave herself to shut...
Wise counsel is not always wise, As this my tale exemplifies. A boy, that frolick'd on the banks of Seine, Fell in, and would have found a watery grave,...
IF once in love, you'll soon invention find And not to cunning tricks and freaks be blind; The youngest 'prentice, when he feels the dart, Grows wondrous shrewd, and studies wily art....
A close-fist had his money hoarded Beyond the room his till afforded. His avarice aye growing ranker, (Whereby his mind of course grew blanker,) He was perplex'd to choose a banker;...
The first who saw the humpback'd camel Fled off for life; the next approach'd with care; The third with tyrant rope did boldly dare The desert wanderer to trammel. Such is the power of use to change...
The Pha'ton who drove a load of hay Once found his cart bemired. Poor man! the spot was far away From human help - retired, In some rude country place,...
THOSE who in fables deal, bestow at ease Both names and titles, freely as they please. It costs them scarcely any thing, we find. And each is nymph or shepherdess designed;...
The Cat and the Fox once took a walk together, Sharpening their wits with talk about the weather And as their walking sharpened appetite, too; They also took some things they had no right to....
The cat and the fox, in the manner of good little saints, started out upon a pilgrimage. They were both humbugs, arch-hypocrites, two downright highwaymen, who for the expenses of their journey indemnified themselves by seeing ...
A story-writer of our sort Historifies, in short, Of one that may be reckon'd A Rodilard the Second, - [2] The Alexander of the cats, The Attila,[3] the scourge of rats,...
Four creatures, wont to prowl, - Sly Grab-and-Snatch, the cat, Grave Evil-bode, the owl, Thief Nibble-stitch, the rat, And Madam Weasel, prim and fine, - Inhabited a rotten pine....