The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe Household Edition : with illustrations |
THE HEN AND THE HONEYBEE.
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The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | ||
THE HEN AND THE HONEYBEE.
FROM THE GERMAN OF GELLET.
A lazy
Hen,—the story goes,—
Loquacious, pert, and self-conceited,
Espied a Bee upon a rose,
And thus the busy insect greeted:
Loquacious, pert, and self-conceited,
Espied a Bee upon a rose,
And thus the busy insect greeted:
“Say, what 's the use of such as you,
(Excuse the freedom of a neighbor!)
Who gad about, and never do
A single act of useful labor?
(Excuse the freedom of a neighbor!)
Who gad about, and never do
A single act of useful labor?
229
“I 've marked you well for many a day,
In garden blooms and meadow-clover;
Now here, now there, in wanton play;
From morn to night an idle rover.
In garden blooms and meadow-clover;
Now here, now there, in wanton play;
From morn to night an idle rover.
“While I discreetly bide at home,
A faithful wife, the best of mothers,
About the fields you idly roam,
Without the least regard for others.
A faithful wife, the best of mothers,
About the fields you idly roam,
Without the least regard for others.
“While I lay eggs, or hatch them out,
You seek the flowers most sweet and fragrant,
And, sipping honey, stroll about,
At best a good-for-nothing vagrant!”
You seek the flowers most sweet and fragrant,
And, sipping honey, stroll about,
At best a good-for-nothing vagrant!”
“Nay,” said the Bee, “you do me wrong;
I'm useful too; perhaps you doubt it,
Because—though toiling all day long—
I scorn to make a fuss about it!
I'm useful too; perhaps you doubt it,
Because—though toiling all day long—
I scorn to make a fuss about it!
“While you, with every egg that cheers
Your daily task, must stop and hammer
The news in other people's ears,
Till they are deafened with the clamor:
Your daily task, must stop and hammer
The news in other people's ears,
Till they are deafened with the clamor:
“Come now with me, and see my hive,
And note how folks may work in quiet;
To useful arts much more alive
Than you with all your cackling riot!”
And note how folks may work in quiet;
To useful arts much more alive
Than you with all your cackling riot!”
L'ENVOI.
The Poet, one may plainly seeWho reads this fable at his leisure,
Is represented by the Bee,
Who joins utility to pleasure;
While in this self-conceited Hen
We note the Poet's silly neighbor,
Who thinks the noisy “working-men”
Are doing all the useful labor!
The poetical works of John Godfrey Saxe | ||