Forward to the Fables

There was once a young man whose temperance never flagged;

There was an old man, too, who never scolded or nagged;

There was a rich man who shared his wealth with the needy;

There flourished an author, for renown never greedy;

There was a customs man who did not steal; a cobbler who shunned alcohol;

A soldier who did not boast; a rogue who did not brawl;

There was an honest minister who thought not of self;

There was a poet who never put lies on his shelf.

"No, you'll never convince me that that's the right label!"

"Nevertheless, I will call all of this a fable."