One seized the Egg, and turned upon his back,
  And then, in spite of many a thump and thwack,
  That would have torn, perhaps, a coat of mail,
  The other dragg’d him by the tail. 
    Who dares the inference to blink,
    That beasts possess wherewith to think?

Were I commission’d to bestow This power on creatures here below, The beasts should have as much of mind As infants of the human kind.

  The Lion’s Share

  The Heifer, the Goat, and their sister the Sheep,
  Compacted their earnings in common to keep,
  ’Tis said, in time past, with a Lion, who swayed
  Full lordship o’er neighbours, of whatever grade. 
  The Goat, as it happened, a Stag having snared,
  Sent off to the rest, that the beast might be shared. 
  All gathered; the Lion first counts on his claws,
  And says, “We’ll proceed to divide with our paws
  The stag into pieces, as fix’d by our laws.” 
    This done, he announces part first as his own;
    “’Tis mine,” he says, “truly, as Lion alone.” 
    To such a decision there’s nought to be said,
    As he who has made it is doubtless the head. 
  “Well, also, the second to me should belong;
  ’Tis mine, be it known, by the right of the strong. 
  Again, as the bravest, the third must be mine. 
  To touch but the fourth whoso maketh a sign,
        I’ll choke him to death
        In the space of a breath!”

  The Shepherd and His Dog

  A Shepherd, with a single Dog,
  Was ask’d the reason why
  He kept a Dog, whose least supply
  Amounted to a loaf of bread
  For every day.  The people said
  He’d better give the animal
  To guard the village seignior’s hall;
  For him, a Shepherd, it would be
  A thriftier economy
  To keep small curs, say two or three,
  That would not cost him half the food,
  And yet for watching be as good. 
  The fools, perhaps, forgot to tell
  If they would fight the wolf as well. 
  The silly Shepherd, giving heed,
  Cast off his Dog of mastiff breed,
  And took three dogs to watch his cattle,
  Which ate far less, but fled in battle.

  Not vain our tale, if it convinces
    Small states that ’tis a wiser thing
    To trust a single powerful king,
  Than half a dozen petty princes.

  The Old Man and the Ass

  An Old Man, riding on his Ass,
  Had found a spot of thrifty grass,
  And there turn’d loose his weary beast. 
  Old Grizzle, pleased with such a feast,
  Flung up his heels, and caper’d round,
  Then roll’d and rubb’d upon the ground,
  And frisk’d and browsed and bray’d,
  And many a clean spot made. 
  Arm’d men came on them as he fed: 
  “Let’s fly!” in haste the Old Man said. 
  “And wherefore so?” the Ass replied;
  “With heavier burdens will they ride?”