BENEATH a tree, ae shining day,
On a burn bank twa lizards lay
Beeking themsells now in the beams,
Then drinking of the cauller streams.
"Waes me!" says ane of them to th'ither.
"How mean and silly live we, brither!
Beneath the moon is ought sae poor,
Regarded less, or mair obscure!
We breathe indeed, and that's just a';
But forc'd by destiny's hard law
On earth like worms to creep and sprawl:
Curst fate to ane that has a saul!
Forby, gin we may trow report,
In Nilus giant lizards sport,
Ca'd crocodiles. Ah! had I been
Of sic a size, upon the green
Then might I had my skair of fame,
Honour, respect, and a great name;
And man with gaping jaws have shor'd,
Syne like a Pa-god been ador'd."
"AH friend!" replied the ither lizard,
What makes this grumbling in thy gizzard?
What cause have ye to be uneasy?
Cannot the sweets of freedom please ye?
We free frae trouble, toil or care,
Enjoy the sun, the earth and air,
The chrystal spring, and green wood shaw,
And beildy holes, when tempests blaw.
Why shou'd we fret, look blae or wan,
Tho' we're contemn'd by paughty man?
If sae, let's in return be wise,
And that proud animal despise."
"O fy!" returns th'ambitious beast,
How weak a fire now warms thy breast?
It breaks my heart to live sae mean;
I'd like t'attract the gazer's een,
And be admir'd. What stately horns
The deer's majestick brow adorns!
He claims our wonder and our dread,
Where e'er he heaves his haughty head.
What envy a' my spirit fires,
When he in clearest pools admires
His various beauties with delyte.
I'm like to drown my sell with spite."
Thus he held forth, when straight a pack
Of hounds, and hunters at their back,
Ran down a deer before their face,
Breathless and wearied with the chace.
The dogs upon the victim seise,
And bougles sound his obsequies.
But neither men nor dogs took tent
Of our wee lizards on the bent,
While hungry Bawty, Buff and Tray
Devour'd the paunches of the prey.
SOON as the bloody deed was past,
The lizard wise the proud addrest.
"Dear cousin, now pray let me hear
How wad ye like to be a deer?"
"OHON!" quoth he, convinc'd and wae,
"Wha wad have thought it anes a day!
Well, be a private life my fate,
I'll never envy mair the great.
That we are little fowk, that's true;
But sae's our cares and dangers too."
Anaith a tree, ae shinin day,
On a birn bank twa lizards lay,
Beekin thaimsels noo in the beams,
Than drinkin o the cauller streams.
"Wae's me!" says ane o thaim tae th'ither.
"Hoo mean an silly leeve we, brither!
Anaith the muin is ocht sae puir,
Regairdit less, or mair obscure!
We braithe indeed, an that's juist aw;
But forced bi destiny's hard law
On earth like wirms ti creep an sprawl:
Curst fett til ane that haes a saul!
Forby, gin we may trowe report,
In Nilus giant lizards sport,
Cawed crocodiles. Ah! haed Ah been
O sic a size, upon the green
Than micht Ah haed ma skair o fame,
Honor, respeck, an a gret name,
An man wi gawpin jaws have shored,
Syne like a Pa-god been adored."
"Ah freen!" replied the ither lizard,
What meks this grummlin in thy gizzerd?
What cause have ye ti be uneasy?
Cannae the sweets o freedom please ye?
We free frae tribble, toil or care,
Enjoy the sun, the earth an air,
The creestal spring, an greenwuid shaw,
An beildy holes, whan tempests blaw.
Why shoud we fret, leuk blae or wan,
Tho we're contemned bi pauchtie man?
Yif sae, let's in return be wise,
An that prood ainimal despise."
"O feuch!" returns th'ambeetious beast,
"Hoo waik a fire noo wairms thy breist?
It breks ma hairt ti leeve sae mean;
Ah'd like t'attrack the gazer's een,
An be admired. What stately horns
The deer's majestick broo adorns!
He claims oor wunner an oor dreid,
Whair e'er he heaves his hauchtie heid.
What envy aw ma speerit fires,
Whan he in clearest puils admires
His various beauties wi delyte.
Ah'm like ti droon masel wi spite."
Thus he held furth, whan straucht a pack
O hoonds, an hunters at thair back,
Ran doon a deer afore thair face,
Braithless an wearit wi the chace.
The dugs upon the victim seize,
An boogles soond his obsequies.
But naither men nor dugs teuk tent
Of oor wee lizards on the bent,
While hungert Bawtie, Buff an Tray
Devoored the panches o the prey.
Soon as the bluidy deed wes past,
The lizard wice the prood addresst.
"Dear cuisin, noo pray let me hear
Hoo wad ye like ti be a deer?"
"Ohone!" quoth he, convinced an wae,
"Wha wad have thocht it yince a day!
Weel, be a privett life ma fett,
Ah'll niver envy mair the gret.
That we err little fowk, that's true;
But sae's oor cares an dangers too."