Muses on anything except the wager.
At last he sees she has almost
Attained the Winning-post:
Then like a flash across the grass he gleams.
In vain! His powers he has misreckoned
And comes in Second.
"The Stakes are mine, and who's fool now?" exclaimed
The Tortoise bold, with victory inflamed.
"My senses do I lack?
Such as I am, you see I've won;
How then would you have been outrun
If you had had a house upon your back!"
(La Fontaine, Fables, Vol. VI, No. 10. Translated by Paul Hookham.)
THE Lion once gave orders to proclaim
In the King's name,
That lying sick within his Cave,
Attacked by symptoms grave,
He called upon his Subjects to evince
Devotion to their suffering Prince:
Each Species should despatch a Deputation
By way of sympathy and consolation.
Therein he gave his promise to respect
The Envoys whom they should elect,
On faith of King that could admit no doubt;
And this was fairly written out.
As Passport good 'gainst tooth and claw,
