The Elephant's Ball, and Grand Fete Champetre Intended as a Companion to Those Much Admired Pieces, the Butterfly's Ball, and the Peacock "At Home."

Excerpt

The insects and birds, with the balls and their feastsCaus’d much conversation among all the beasts:The Elephant, famous for sense as for size,At such entertainments express’d much surprise;[p4]Says he, “shall these impudent tribes of the air,To break our soft slumbers thus wantonly dare?Shall these petty creatures, us beasts far below,Exceed us in consequence, fashion, and show?Forbid it, true dignity, honour and pride!—A grand rural fête I will shortly provide,That for pomp, taste, and splendor, shall far leave behind,All former attempts of a similar kind.”The Buffalo, Bison, Elk, Antelope, Pard,All heard what he spoke, with due marks of regard.

 

[p]A number of messengers quickly he sentTo the beasts, far and near, to make known his intent.The place he design’d for the scene of his plan,Was a valley remote from the dwellings of man:Well guarded with mountains, embellished with trees,And furnish’d with rivers, that flow’d to the seas.Here first came the Lion so gallant and strong,Well known by his main that is shaggy and long;The Jackall, his slave, follow’d close in his rear,Resolv’d the good things with his master to share.[p6]The Leopard came next—a gay sight to the eye,—With his coat spotted over—like stars in the sky—The Tiger his system of slaughter declin’d,At once, a good supper and pleasure to find.The bulky Rhinoceros, came with his bride;Well arm’d with his horn, and his coat of mail hide.Then came the Hyena, whose cries authors say,    }Oft lead the fond traveller out of his way,}Whom quickly he seizes and renders his prey.     }The Wolf hasten’d hither, that Ruffian so bold,Who kills the poor sheep, when they stray from the fold.

 

[p7]The Bear having slept the long winter away,Arriv’d, from the north, to be merry and gay.The Panther ferocious—the Lynx of quick sight,The Preacherand Gluttoncame hither that night.The Camel, so often with burthens opprest,Was glad for a while from his labour to rest.The Sloth, when invited, got up with much pain,Just groan’d out, “Ah, No!” and then laid down again.The Fox, near the hen-roost, no longer kept watch,But hied to the feast, better viands to catch.[p8]The Monkey, so cunning, and full of his sport,To showAll his Talentscame to this resort.The Dog and Grimalkinfrom service releas’d,Expected good snacks, at the end of the feast:The first at the gate, as a centinel stood;The last kept the Rats and the Mice from the food.The crowd of strange quadrupeds seen at the ball,’Twere tedious and needless to mention them all;To shorten the story, suffice it to saySome scores, nay some hundreds, attended that day.—

 

[p9]But most of the tame and domestical kind,For fear of some stratagem, tarried behind.Due caution is prudent! but laws had been made—No Beast, on that night, should another invade.Before we go farther, ’tis proper to state,Each female was asked to attend with her mate:Of these, many came to this fête of renown,But some were prevented by causes well known....