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A Fable.
A MAN who own’d a barber’s shop | |
| At York, and shaved full many a fop, | |
| A monkey kept for their amusement; | |
| He made no other kind of use on ’t— | |
| This monkey took great observation, | 5 |
| Was wonderful at imitation, | |
| And all he saw the barber do, | |
| He mimic’d straight, and did it too. | |
| It chanced in shop, the dog and cat, | |
| While friseur dined, demurely sat, | 10 |
| Jacko found nought to play the knave in, | |
| So thought he ’d try his hand at shaving. | |
| Around the shop in haste he rushes, | |
| And gets the razor, soap, and brushes; | |
| Now puss he fix’d (no muscle miss stirs) | 15 |
| And lather’d well her beard and whiskers, | |
| Then gave a gash, as he began— | |
| The cat cry’d “waugh!” and off she ran. | |
| Next Towser’s beard he try’d his skill in, | |
| Though Towser seem’d somewhat unwilling: | 20 |
| As badly here again succeeding, | |
| The dog runs howling round and bleeding. | |
| Nor yet was tired our roguish elf; | |
| He’d seen the barber shave himself; | |
| So by the glass, upon the table, | 25 |
| He rubs with soap his visage sable, | |
| Then with left hand holds smooth his jaw,— | |
| The razor in his dexter paw; | |
| Around he flourishes and slashes, | |
| Till all his face is seam’d with gashes. | 30 |
| His cheeks despatch’d—his visage thin | |
| He cock’d, to shave beneath his chin; | |
| Drew razor swift as he could pull it, | |
| And cut, from ear to ear, his gullet. 1 | |
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Moral. Who cannot write, yet handle pens, | 35 |
| Are apt to hurt themselves and friends. | |
| Though others use them well, yet fools | |
| Should never meddle with edge tools. | |
