 | The Triangular Society |  |
345
THE CATERPILLAR.
The caterpillar gnaws his way
The mellow summer through,
And though he spoils the cabbage-plants,
And rasps the rose-buds, too,
He has some small redeeming traits,
Albeit but a few.
The mellow summer through,
And though he spoils the cabbage-plants,
And rasps the rose-buds, too,
He has some small redeeming traits,
Albeit but a few.
With numerous acquaintances,
He is not rich in friends;
No personal attractiveness
To him its glamour lends;
About the middle he is brown,
And black at both the ends.
He is not rich in friends;
No personal attractiveness
To him its glamour lends;
About the middle he is brown,
And black at both the ends.
So, though his foes, the gardeners,
May swear about his sins,
One beauty of his character
Our approbation wins,—
The virtue of consistency—
He ends as he begins!
May swear about his sins,
One beauty of his character
Our approbation wins,—
The virtue of consistency—
He ends as he begins!
Should lifted foot or hoe approach,
To crush him for his crimes,
Or should a sudden shower o-
vertake him where he climbs,
He rolls himself into a ball,
And waits for better times.
To crush him for his crimes,
Or should a sudden shower o-
vertake him where he climbs,
He rolls himself into a ball,
And waits for better times.
How fortunate, could larger lives
But learn this simple feat—
Could we achieve, when on our heads
Financial tempests beat,
The grace and skill which he displays
In making both ends meet!
But learn this simple feat—
Could we achieve, when on our heads
Financial tempests beat,
The grace and skill which he displays
In making both ends meet!
346
He wears his furs all through dog-days,
Despite the sultriness,
But when the frosty weather comes—
Strange metamorphosis!—
He throws his fuzzy coat aside,
A naked chrysalis.
Despite the sultriness,
But when the frosty weather comes—
Strange metamorphosis!—
He throws his fuzzy coat aside,
A naked chrysalis.
Because his favorite leaves have lost
Their juice and flavoring,
He leaves off eating, in a huff,
Eschewing everything—
Gives over crawling, goes to bed,
And snoozes there till spring!
Their juice and flavoring,
He leaves off eating, in a huff,
Eschewing everything—
Gives over crawling, goes to bed,
And snoozes there till spring!
When Panic fills the stoutest heart
With bodings dark and dire,
How cheap and pleasant it would be,
If we could thus retire
And pass the winter, with no need
Of food, or clothes, or fire!
With bodings dark and dire,
How cheap and pleasant it would be,
If we could thus retire
And pass the winter, with no need
Of food, or clothes, or fire!
But while he keeps his humble place
Among the creeping things,
Threatened by every passer-by
With being crushed to strings,
Do you suppose the creature dreams
About his future wings?
Among the creeping things,
Threatened by every passer-by
With being crushed to strings,
Do you suppose the creature dreams
About his future wings?
And when he spins his snug cocoon,
And bids his legs good by,
Does he make peace with all the world,
And tuck him up to die?
Or just intend to sleep awhile,
And wake a butterfly?
And bids his legs good by,
Does he make peace with all the world,
And tuck him up to die?
Or just intend to sleep awhile,
And wake a butterfly?
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