That a mouse who once entered did ever return."
Let young people mind what the old people say,
And, when danger is near them keep out of the way.

[Page 186--Mixed Animal Land]

[Illustration: Fox Reading "The Poultry Fancier's Gazette".]

The Fox and the Cat

The fox and the cat as they travelled one day,
With moral discourses cut shorter on the way:
"'Tis great," says the fox, "to make justice our guide!"
"How godlike is mercy!" Grimalkin replied.

Whilst thus they proceeded, a wolf from the wood,
Impatient of hunger, and thirsting for blood,
Rushed forth--as he saw the dull shepherd asleep--
And seized for his supper an innocent sheep.

"In vain, wretched victim, for mercy you bleat;
When mutton's at hand," says the wolf, "I must eat."
Grimalkin's astonished--the fox stood aghast,
To see the fell beast at his bloody repast.

"What a wretch!" says the cat--"'tis the vilest of brutes;
Does he feed upon flesh when there's herbage and roots?"
Cries the fox, "While our oaks give us acorns so good,
What a tyrant is this to spill innocent blood!"

Well, onward they marched, and they moralised still.
Till they came where some poultry picked chaff by a mill.
Sly Reynard surveyed the them with gluttonous eyes,
And made, spite of morals, a pullet his prize!
A mouse, too, that chanced from her covert to stray,
The greedy Grimalkin secured as her prey!

A spider that sat in her web on the wall,
Perceived the poor victims, and pitied their fall;
She cried, "Of such murders how guiltless am I!"
So ran to regale on a new-taken fly!

Sour Grapes

A fox was trotting one day,
And just above his head
He spied a vine of luscious grapes,
Rich, ripe, and purple-red.

Eager he tried to snatch the fruit,
But, ah! it was too high;
Poor Reynard had to give it up,
And, heaving a deep sigh,

He curl'd his nose and said, "Dear me!
I would not waste an hour
Upon such mean and common fruit--
I'm sure those grapes are sour!"

'Tis thus we often wish thro' life,
When seeking wealth and pow'r
And when we fall, say, like the fox,
We're "sure the grapes are sour!"

The Fox and the Mask

A fox walked round a toyman's shop
(How he came there, pray do not ask),
But soon he made a sudden stop,
To look and wonder at a mask.

The mask was beautiful and fair,
A perfect mask as e'er was ma