The Lizards

: Literary Fables Of Yriarte

A Naturalist, cruel as a Turk,

Two Lizards in his garden catches,

And coolly sets himself at work

To anatomize the little wretches.

The plumpest now he has dissected,

And torn the reptile limb from limb;

With microscope he then inspected

Intestines, paws, and tail, and skin;

He pulls apart, for scrutiny,

The loin and belly, neck and eye:

hen takes his pen--again he looks--

A little writes and recapitulates--

The memoranda enters in his books;

To fresh dissection then himself betakes.

Some curious friends, by chance, dropped in to see

The subject of his shrewd anatomy.

One wonders--questions one proposes--

While others yet turn up their noses.



This done, the scientific man

Gave o'er, exhausted with his labors.

The other Lizard jumped and ran,

In his old haunts, to join his neighbors.

To them, in friendly chat, he stated

The matters we have just related.



"You need not doubt it, friends,"--said he,--

"For everything myself did see.

The livelong day this man did spend

Over the body of our friend.

If, in us, attributes so rare

Are worth such pains in writing down,

To call us vermin who shall dare?

'Tis gross abuse--as all must own.

Now, noble brothers, our high station

Let us with dignity maintain, I pray.

Sure, we are worthy great consideration--

Whatever spiteful folks may say."



* * * * *



It is not worth the while to natter

The pride of writers we despise.

'Tis honoring too much the matter,

To condescend to criticize.

Their paltry trash in serious way

To note--your pains will never pay.



Of Lizards to make great account,

Gives them occasion to surmise

Their claims to be of some amount,

In the impartial public's eyes--

"Whatever spiteful folks may say."



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