The Kid and the Wolf
A young kid that would stray from the herd saw a wolf, and did her best to get out of his reach; but when she found that all hope was lost, she said, “Sir wolf, I know that I am to die at your hands, so as my life will now be but short, I pray of you to let it be a gay one. Now, do you pipe while I dance.” So the wolf pipes, and the kid jumps and springs to please him. A pack of hounds who heard the sound, ran up to see who was there, and then the wolf set off as fast as his legs would take him, and the kid came home safe. Quoth she, with a hop and a skip:
“He that sticks to chance,
When fools pipe he may dance.”
But the wolf gave a deep sigh, and said:
“He who will not when he may,
When he wills, he shall have nay.”