THE EAGLE, THE CAT, AND THE SOW.
Reading edition
THE EAGLE, THE CAT, AND THE SOW.
Her nest on high an eagle made
Lower a cat her kittens laid;
And at the bottom of the tree
A sow dispos'd her progeny.
Vile puss to gain her wicked ends,
Much love for both of them pretends.
First to the eagle's aerie mounts,
And thus to her false alarms recounts:
"Madam, in truth our dangerous state,
'Tis with reluctance I relate;
But things are really gone so far,
Conceal them I no longer dare.
Night after night the treacherous sow
Our tree has undermined below;
Ere long it cannot choose but fall,
And then she hopes to eat us all."
Successful when she saw her lies,
Down to the bristly sow she hies;
"My worthy neighbor!" crying out,
"I pray you, mind what you're about,
For to a certainty I know,
The eagle waits but till you go,
(The thing with great concern I say,)
To make your little ones her prey."
Suspicious dread when thus inspir'd,
Puss to her hole all day retir'd;
Stealing at night on silent paw,
To stuff her own and kittens' maw.
To stir nor sow nor eagle dare.
What more? fell hunger ends their care;
And long the mischief-making beast
With her base brood on carrion feast.
Learn hence, ye simples, ere too late,
What ills the double-tongued create.
