My friends, be cautious how ye treat
The subject upon which we meet;
I fear we shall have winter yet."

A Finch, whose tongue knew no control,
With golden wing, and satin poll,
A last year's bird, who ne'er had tried
What marriage means, thus pert replied:

"Methinks, the gentleman," quoth she,
"Opposite, in the apple-tree,
By his good will, would keep us single,
'Till yonder heaven and earth shall mingle;
Or (which is likelier to befall)
'Till death exterminate us all.
I marry without more ado;
My dear Dick Redcap, what say you?"

Dick heard; and tweedling, ogling, bridling,
Turning short round, strutting, and sidling,
Attested glad his approbation
Of an immediate conjugation.
Their sentiments so well express'd,
Influenced mightily the rest;
All pair'd, and each pair built a nest.

But though the birds were thus in haste,
The leaves came on not quite so fast;
And destiny, that sometimes bears
An aspect stern on man's affairs,
Not altogether smil'd on theirs.

The wind, that late breath'd gently forth,
Now shifted east, and east by north;
Bare trees and shrubs but ill, you know,
Could shelter them from rain or snow;
Stepping into their nests, they paddled,
Themselves were chill'd, their eggs were addled;
Soon every father bird, and mother,
Grew quarrelsome, and peck'd each other;
Parted without the least regret,
Except that they had ever met;
And learn'd in future to be wiser
Than to neglect a good adviser.

MORAL.

Young folks, who think themselves so wise,
That old folks' counsel they despise,
Will find, when they too late repent,
Their folly prove their punishment.

FABLE XXVII.

THE MOUSE AND THE WEASEL.

A LITTLE starveling rogue of a Mouse had, with much pushing
application, made his way through a small hole in a corn-basket,
where he stuffed and crammed so plentifully, that, when he would
have retired the way he came, he found himself too plump, with
all his endeavours, to accomplish it. A Weasel, who stood at some
distance, and had been diverting himself with beholding the vain
efforts of the little fat thing, called to him, and said,
"Harkee, honest friend; if you have a mind to make your escape,
there is but one way for it: contrive to grow as poor and lean as
you were when you entered, and then, p