 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
164
PLUMB-PUDDING.
A Fable.
Two Boys at Christmas Dinner plac'd,
The board a large Plumb-Pudding grac'd;
Their plates well heap'd they glad survey,
But each indulg'd a diff'rent way:
Jack, who was greedy of the plumbs,
First pick'd them out, then lick'd his thumbs;
He eat, and said—“'Twas special good:”
His plumbs devour'd—The remnant food
Quite plain, now prov'd a worthless store;
He tasted, but cou'd eat no more;
The sweets had spoil'd his relish quite,
Pudding unplumb'd gives no delight;
And to acquire more plumbs unable,
Hungry, he crying left the table.
The board a large Plumb-Pudding grac'd;
Their plates well heap'd they glad survey,
But each indulg'd a diff'rent way:
Jack, who was greedy of the plumbs,
First pick'd them out, then lick'd his thumbs;
He eat, and said—“'Twas special good:”
His plumbs devour'd—The remnant food
Quite plain, now prov'd a worthless store;
He tasted, but cou'd eat no more;
The sweets had spoil'd his relish quite,
Pudding unplumb'd gives no delight;
And to acquire more plumbs unable,
Hungry, he crying left the table.
With much more caution Dick proceeds,
And on the plumbless portion feeds;
His feast determin'd to conclude
With plumbs, that rich, delicious food;
But when the plain was swallow'd, Dick
Had eat so much, he was quite sick;
His appetite, alas, was flown,
And ev'n for plumbs his relish gone:
Like Tantalus he view'd his store—
And cry'd—for he cou'd hold no more;
And what he'd sav'd with miser care,
A better appetite must heir.
And on the plumbless portion feeds;
His feast determin'd to conclude
With plumbs, that rich, delicious food;
But when the plain was swallow'd, Dick
Had eat so much, he was quite sick;
His appetite, alas, was flown,
And ev'n for plumbs his relish gone:
Like Tantalus he view'd his store—
And cry'd—for he cou'd hold no more;
And what he'd sav'd with miser care,
A better appetite must heir.
165
He who his plumbs unmix'd destroys,
Will soon regret his short-liv'd joys;
While He who keeps 'em for the last,
Too late will mourn a blunted taste:
Then let us take the plain with sweet,
And like good boys our pudding eat,
Just as 'tis cut us from above,
Nor Prodigals or Misers prove.
Will soon regret his short-liv'd joys;
While He who keeps 'em for the last,
Too late will mourn a blunted taste:
Then let us take the plain with sweet,
And like good boys our pudding eat,
Just as 'tis cut us from above,
Nor Prodigals or Misers prove.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |