THE TWO POUCHES

"Lets all the creatures gather round,"
Once Jupiter declared,
"And stand before our mighty throne
To have their looks compared.
Don't be afraid," he said, "if you
Believe that you were slighted
When you were made, let's hear it now
And we will have it righted.
Now you're a likely malcontent,
Sir monkey, have your say.
Look over all these animals
Are you as fine as they?"

"Who me? Why not? I've got four feet,"
The monkey answered smugly,
"A portrait of me, I am sure,
Would not be rated ugly!
But take a look at Brother Bear!
He hasn't one true feature!
Now why should any artist want
To paint that fuzzy creature?"

T'was thought the bear would make a claim
For a more gracious form,
But no! he boasted that his looks
Were well above the norm.
But he pronounced the elephant
A gross amorphous figure,
With ears that ought to be pared down,
And a tail that should be bigger.
The elephant's remarks were not
Outstanding sagacious
For he maligned poor Madame Whale
As being Too capacious.
Dame Ant, a self-styled giantess,
Discredited the mite.
The parley ended, each convinced
That he alone was right.


T'is we that bear the palm of folly;
Lynx-eyed, we find the holes
In all pretensions but our own
To which we're blind as moles.
The Lord makes men like pedlars, hung
With pouches fore and aft:
In front we air each others' faults
And stuff our own abaft.

Ref: Selected Fables