| |
| A MILKMAID, who poised a full pail on her head, | |
| Thus mused on her prospects in life, it is said: | |
| “Let me see,—I should think that this milk will procure | |
| One hundred good eggs, or fourscore, to be sure. | |
| |
| “Well then,—stop a bit,—it must not be forgotten, | 5 |
| Some of these may be broken, and some may be rotten; | |
| But if twenty for accident should be detached, | |
| It will leave me just sixty sound eggs to be hatched. | |
| |
| “Well, sixty sound eggs.—no, sound chickens, I mean: | |
| Of these some may die,—we ’ll suppose seventeen, | 10 |
| Seventeen! not so many—say ten at the most, | |
| Which will leave fifty chickens to boil or to roast. | |
| |
| “But then there ’s their barley: how much will they need? | |
| Why, they take but one grain at a time when they feed,— | |
| So that ’s a mere trifle; now then, let us see, | 15 |
| At a fair market price how much money there ’ll be. | |
| |
| “Six shillings a pair—five—four—three-and-six. | |
| To prevent all mistakes, that low price I will fix; | |
| Now what will that make? fifty chickens, I said,— | |
| Fifty times three-and-sixpence—I ’ll ask Brother Ned. | 20 |
| |
| “O, but stop,—three-and-sixpence a pair I must sell ’em; | |
| Well, a pair is a couple,—now then let us tell ’em; | |
| A couple in fifty will go (my poor brain!) | |
| Why, just a score times and five pair will remain. | |
| |
| “Twenty-five pair of fowls—now how tiresome it is | 25 |
| That I can’t reckon up so much money as this! | |
| Well, there ’s no use in trying, so let ’s give a guess,— | |
| I ’ll say twenty pounds, and it can’t be no less. | |
| |
| “Twenty pounds, I am certain, will buy me a cow, | |
| Thirty geese and two turkeys,—eight pigs and a sow; | 30 |
| Now if these turn out well, at the end of a year, | |
| I shall fill both my pockets with guineas, ’t is clear.” | |
| |
| Forgetting her burden, when this she had said, | |
| The maid superciliously tossed up her head; | |
| When, alas for her prospects! her milk-pail descended, | 35 |
| And so all her schemes for the future were ended. | |
| |
| This moral, I think, may be safely attached,— | |
| “Reckon not on your chickens before they are hatched.” | |
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