Page:Florian - The Fables, 1888.djvu/113

Where beauties shone on ev'ry hand,
In wealth of meadows, orchards, woods,
And all the treasures of the floods.
Our pilgrims seeing scenes so fair,
Were in a perfect ecstasy,
As Æneas and his Trojans were,
With their first view of Italy.
But all this happy land, alas!
Lay circled by a black morass.
Where frightful lizards, snakes, and toads
Were wont to make their foul abodes.
Brought to a stop, they take a view,
And ponder what they're next to do.
The ermine trying with her paw,
Decides at once that she'll withdraw.
"My friends," said she, "take my advice,
This land is not so very nice.
To reach it we must cross the slough,
And that my coat would ruin so,
       That I should die.
Some other country let us try."
"Have patience, dear," the beaver said;
"These things require a little head.
We need not always get a stain,
In coming at the point we'd gain.
As I'm a mason, I can throw,
In fifteen days o'er this foul slough
A bridge by which we can pass o'er,
And harmless reach the farther shore."
"In fifteen days!" exclaim'd the boar;