The Raven Who Wished to Imitate the Eagle

								
The bird of Jove bore off a heavy "mutton;"
A Raven, witness of the whole affair,
Weaker in back, but scarcely less a glutton,
    Resolved to do the same, whate'er
         Might come of it.
         With greedy wit,
Around the flock he made a sweep,
Marking, among the fattest sheep,
    One of enormous size,
    Fit for a sacrifice.
Said Master Raven, winking both his eyes,
"Your nurse's name I cannot tell,
But such fat flesh will suit me well:
You're ready for my eating."
Then on the sheep, slow, sluggish, bleating,
    The Raven settled down, not knowing
The beast weighed more than a mere cream-cheese could.
    It had a fleece as thickly growing
As beard of Polyphemus--tangled wood--
That clung to either claw; the animal could not withdraw.
    The shepherd comes, and calling to his boy,
    Gives him the Raven for a toy.

We must take care; the moral is quite clear--
The footpad mustn't rob on the highway.
Example is a dangerous lure, I fear:
Men-eaters are not all great people; no, I say,
Where wasps passed last week gnats are crushed to-day.
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