air for food."

"I've seen it, sir, as well as you,
And must again affirm it blue;
At leisure I the beast survey'd,
Extended in the cooling shade."

"'Tis green! 'tis green! sir, I assure ye."--
"Green!" cries the other, in a fury,--
"Why, sir, d'ye think I've lost my eyes?"
"'Twere no great loss!" the friend replies;
"For if they always serve you thus,
You find 'em but of little use."

So high at last the contest rose,
From words they almost came to blows;
When, luckily, came by a third;
To him the question they referr'd;
And begged he'd tell 'em, if he knew,
Whether the thing was green or blue.

"Sirs," cries the umpire, "cease your pother--
The creature's neither one nor t'other.
I caught the animal last night,
And viewed it o'er by candle-light;
I marked it well--'twas black as jet;--
You stare--but, sirs, I've got it yet,
And can produce it."--"Pray, sir, do;
I'll lay my life the thing is blue."
"And I'll be sworn that when you've seen
The reptile, you'll pronounce him green."

"Well, then, at once to ease the doubt,"
Replies the man, "I'll turn him out;
And when before your eyes I've set him,
If you don't find him black I'll eat him;"
He said. Then full before their sight,
Produced the beast, and lo! 'twas white.
Both stared, the man looked wondrous wise.
"My children," the Chameleon cries,
(Then first the creature found a tongue),
"You all are right and all are wrong;
When next you talk of what you view,
Think others see as well as you;
Nor wonder, if you find that none
Prefers your eye-sight to his own."

FABLE CV.

THE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE ASS.

The Lion, as king of the beasts, made a law that no beast should,
without lawful cause, do any hurt to another; and should come
once a year to court, to confess, and be absolved or punished,
according to his deserts. Now it happened that the Wolf and the
Fox were going thither together, and overtaking the Ass on the
road, said to him:--"Brother, it is a long way to court, and it
certainly must be much more tedious to you than to ourselves,
because of your slow pace; but we can avoid the trouble of going
thither, if you think fit. Let us three confess ourselves to one
another, and send our absolutions to court, attested by two of us
as witnesses."

The Ass liked the p