A scourge which spread terror, Invented by heaven to punish earth-- The plague (if to name it be no error) Was making every animal To curse his birth. In one day it might have enriched Acheron, And upon beasts made busy war. Amongst them all there was not one, But, sick and ailing, was complaining sore; All did not die, but each was ill-- Not one strove now to eat his fill, No meat excited them to taste, Nor did the wolves again lay waste, The innocent prey. Even the doves fled from each other, And cooed no more the live-long day. The lion held war counsel--"My brother," Said he, addressing each in turn, "I think that heaven hath allowed This punishment on us to fall For the sins we have disavowed. Now I for one will confess all, And let him who is most to blame, Be slaughtered in the others' name. Perhaps he may obtain a common cure, For history tells us that in like cases, The guilty die in others' places; Let us not then be false to Nature, Let us confess our faults--in fine I will the first acknowledge mine; And I avow, that oft I keep A serious tax on harmless sheep. What had they done, In naught offended-- Yet I their quiet lives have ended. Sometimes, with sorrow be it heard, I e'en have eaten the shepherd, And I acknowledge all-- And I will die like a quiet bird-- If my death keep you from your fall. It must be hoped now in all justice, That he who is most guilty perish." "Sire," said the fox, "you are too good a king To die for any trivial thing; Your simples are too nice. Eat sheep, and why not? Is it a sin? is it a vice? No, sire, you did them honor; And as for shepherds, I desire, That over us their false empire Should cease, and we have all we want Of sheep and fleece." So said the fox, flatterers applaud, The tiger, bear, and other powers they laud, Even for their most violent offence. All quarrelsome people, Down to the mastiffs, Were little saints. But when the donkey's turn came on, They heard him with many ifs. He said, "I now remember That by a monk's garden passing, (It was late in December, And my strength soon faints,) I ate a leaf of some dry plant, And e'en now I with terror pant." They seized upon him and devoured, And said he was the cause Of heaven's anger being lowered.