Truth in Fiction Or, Morality in Masquerade. A Collection of Two hundred twenty five Select Fables of Aesop, and other Authors. Done into English Verse. By Edmund Arwaker |
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| XX. | FABLE XX. The Fowler and Birds:
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 | Truth in Fiction |  |
123
FABLE XX. The Fowler and Birds:
Or, Something has some Savour.
An eager Fowler, big with hopes of Luck,
Had spread his Nets, and all his Lime-twigs stuck;
And largely scatter'd the deluding Bait,
To tempt the Birds the sooner to their Fate.
A little Flock to the Refection flew;
But those he scorn'd, and thought they were too few:
When they had fill'd themselves, they took their flight,
And soon another Party did alight.
The greedy Fool, expecting better Prey,
Let them too unmolested fly away.
All Day he waited thus, and cou'd not find
A Number suited to his boundless Mind:
At last, when tir'd, and Night was drawing on,
And all the well-fed Birds to Roost were gone;
He saw his Hopes deceiv'd, when they were fled,
And thought it time he too shou'd go to Bed:
Then drew his Nets, in order to retire,
And found but one poor Finch his whole Day's Hire.
Had spread his Nets, and all his Lime-twigs stuck;
And largely scatter'd the deluding Bait,
To tempt the Birds the sooner to their Fate.
A little Flock to the Refection flew;
But those he scorn'd, and thought they were too few:
When they had fill'd themselves, they took their flight,
And soon another Party did alight.
The greedy Fool, expecting better Prey,
Let them too unmolested fly away.
All Day he waited thus, and cou'd not find
A Number suited to his boundless Mind:
At last, when tir'd, and Night was drawing on,
And all the well-fed Birds to Roost were gone;
He saw his Hopes deceiv'd, when they were fled,
And thought it time he too shou'd go to Bed:
Then drew his Nets, in order to retire,
And found but one poor Finch his whole Day's Hire.
The MORAL.
‘They who sure Profit slight, because but small,‘Arrive at Wealth but rarely, if at all:
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‘That many Units to a Sum amount:
‘And when those Littles in a Bulk unite,
‘The Purse grows heavy, tho' the Gains were light.
| Truth in Fiction | |