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% See, millions blacken all the place! Fear not : like me with freedom eat, An ant is most delightful meat. How blessed, how envied were our life, Could we but escape the butcher's knife! But man, cursed man, on turkeys preys, And Christmas shortens all our days; From the low peasant to the lord, The turkey smokes on every board. Sure men for gluttony are cursed, Of the seven deadly sins the worst. An ant, who climbed beyond her reach, Thus answered from the neighboring beech : “Ere you remark another’s sin, Bid your own conscience look within; Control your more voracious bill, Nor for a breakfast nations kill.” Gay.

Membres et le Corps. Menenius Agrippa “restored harmony between the patricians and plebeians. For when the people, galled by taxation and military service, withdrew from the patricians, Agrippa, a man of great eloquence, was sent to them. On receiving admittance into their camp, he delivered, it is said, neither more nor less than the following story : “Once upon a time the members of the body perceiving the belly to be idle, quarrelled with it, and entered into a competition to see who would be the strongest. The members all agreed to go on strike and to refuse to supply the belly with food or anything else unless it worked for its living. The belly, realizing its weakness, decided to plead for mercy. 'Oh, please don't leave me here to die,' it said. 'I promise I will work from now on.' 'That's not good enough,' the members replied, 'you must work now or die.' The belly, in despair, said, 'If I must work, then let me be swallowed by the mouth and chewed up so that I can help nourish you all.' The mouth, moved by pity, swallowed the belly and the members were all pleased once again.” 