The Ass And The Flute
: Literary Fables Of YriarteBe it good or bad,
This little lay
To me occurred to-day,
By chance.
Through a field in our village
A wandering ass
One day did pass,
By chance.
Left by a careless swain,
Forgotten on the ground,
There a flute he found,
By chance.
As he stopped to smell it--
This donkey grave--
A snort he gave,
By chance.
Into the flute his breath
Happened to find its way,
And the flute began to play,
By chance.
"Oho!" said the wise beast,
"How well I can play!
Who will say me nay?
By chance.".
* * * * *
There are donkeys plenty,
Who, without one jot of art,
May, for once, well play a part,
By chance.
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