 | The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe |  |
THE FIGHTING COCKS.
YRIARTE.
A fine old cock—a cock renowned,
In brief, for many a mile around
His native farm-yard—came at length
With a young cock to pit his strength:
A callow chick, who fought so well,
Despite the odds, that—strange to tell—
The elder was compelled to yield,
And, fairly vanquished, leave the field
And laurel to his youthful foe,
Who now set up a lusty crow,
As dunghill victors always will,
In pride of courage, strength, or skill.
In brief, for many a mile around
His native farm-yard—came at length
With a young cock to pit his strength:
A callow chick, who fought so well,
Despite the odds, that—strange to tell—
The elder was compelled to yield,
And, fairly vanquished, leave the field
And laurel to his youthful foe,
Who now set up a lusty crow,
As dunghill victors always will,
In pride of courage, strength, or skill.
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All breathless with the battle's heat,
The other sought a safe retreat,
Where thus he gave reflection tongue:
“Well fought—by Jove!—for one so young!
Give him the proper age and height,
He 'd make, no doubt, a pretty fight!”
The other sought a safe retreat,
Where thus he gave reflection tongue:
“Well fought—by Jove!—for one so young!
Give him the proper age and height,
He 'd make, no doubt, a pretty fight!”
No more our philosophic bird
With his late foe was seen or heard
In close debate, for well he knows
That words, at last, may come to blows;
And with a chick so fierce and tough,
One trial clearly was enough!
With his late foe was seen or heard
In close debate, for well he knows
That words, at last, may come to blows;
And with a chick so fierce and tough,
One trial clearly was enough!
But soon it chanced occasion lent
A turn to give his temper vent;
A neighbor truculent and bold
Despite his years (for he was old,
And long had gloried in the praise
Of brave exploits in former days),
Our hero forced into a fight,
And, rallying with all his might,
Soon drove him fairly from the ground!
A turn to give his temper vent;
A neighbor truculent and bold
Despite his years (for he was old,
And long had gloried in the praise
Of brave exploits in former days),
Our hero forced into a fight,
And, rallying with all his might,
Soon drove him fairly from the ground!
Alone at last,—he looked around,
And seeing that the coast was clear,
That none the monologue might hear,
Thus to himself expressed his mind:
“What unexpected things we find!
For such an old historic cock
How well he bore the battle shock!
How venerable age appears!
And so I spared him—for his years!”
And seeing that the coast was clear,
That none the monologue might hear,
Thus to himself expressed his mind:
“What unexpected things we find!
For such an old historic cock
How well he bore the battle shock!
How venerable age appears!
And so I spared him—for his years!”
MORAL.
How shrewdly men contrive to hide,E'en from themselves, their wounded pride!
| The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | |