The Forest and the Woodman
A woodman had broken or misplaced
The wooden handle of his axe,
This loss could not be well replaced.
So master woodman humbly prayed
From all the trees a single branch,
And promised to go elsewhere when he made
Again his livelihood,
And he would touch nor oak nor pine.
The trees which were all very good
Furnished for him new arms,
And soon commenced all their alarms,
And their regret. The axe was mended.
And his repentance all was ended.
The miserable wretch but used it,
E’en as he had before abused it,
By felling down the forest trees,
Which groaned in spirit, and which died,
By arms they had themselves supplied.
Moral
This is the way the world goes on,
We use our benefits against our benefactors:
I am tired of speaking thereupon,
Till we obtain our wants, we are good actors.