i shall not ask jean jacques rousseau
if birds confabulate or no;
'tis clear that they were always able
to hold discourse, at least in fable;
and e'en the child who knows no better
than to interpret by the letter
a story of a cock and bull
must have a most uncommon skull.
it chanced then on a winter day,
but warm and bright and calm as may,
the birds conceiving a design
to forestall sweet saint valentine,
in many an orchard, copse and grove,
assembled on affairs of love,
and with much twitter, and much chatter,
began to agitate the matter.
at length a bullfinch, who could boast
more years and wisdom than the most,
entreated, opening wide his beak,
a moment's liberty to speak;
and silence publicly enjoined,
delivered, briefly, thus his mind—
"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 appletree,
by his good will would keep us single,
until yonder heavens and earth shall mingle,
or (which is likelier to befall)
until death exterminate us all.
i marry without more ado,
my dear dick redcap; what say you?"
dick heard, and tweedling, ogling, bridling;
with many a strut and many a sidling,
attested, glad, his approbation
of an immediate conjugation.
their sentiments so well expressed
influenced mightily the rest;
all paired, 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 smiled on theirs.
the wind, of late breathed 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 chilled, their eggs were addled,
soon every father-bird and mother
grew quarrelsome and pecked each other,
parted without the least regret,
except that they had ever met,
and learned in future to be wiser
than to neglect a good adviser.
william cowper
