THE MAN AND THE LION.
Reading edition
THE MAN AND THE LION.
A man and a lion once had a dispute,
Which was reckon'd the greatest, the man or the brute;
The lion discoursed on his side at some length,
And greatly enlarged on his courage and strength.
The man, one would think, had enough to reply
On his side the question, which none could deny;
But like many others who make a pretence,
He talk'd perfect nonsense, and thought it good sense.
"So," says he, "don't be prating,—look yonder, I pray,
At that sculpture of marble, now what will you say?
The lion is vanquished; but as for the man
He is striding upon him; deny it who can."
"But pray," said the lion, "who sculptured that stone?"
"One of us," said the man, "I must candidly own."
"But when we are sculptors," the other replied,
"You will then on the man see the lion astride."
MORAL.
The man might have added, if he had been wise,
"But a beast cannot sculpture a stone, if he tries."
That sufficiently shows where the difference lies.
