But to come back to my flock. Ye must know that I knew as little of wolves as of mine own ignorance, and therefore was my dad the more diligent with his lessons: and "lad," says he, "have a care; let not the sheep run far from each other, and play thy bagpipe manfully lest the wolf come and do harm, for 'tis a four-legged knave and a thief that eateth man and beast, and if thou beest anyways negligent he will dust thy jacket for thee." To which I answered with like courtesy, "Daddy, tell me how a wolf looks: for such I never saw yet." "O thou silly blockhead," quoth he, "all thy life long wilt thou be a fool: thou art already a great looby and yet knowest not what a four-legged rogue a wolf is." And more lessons did he give me, and at last grew angry and went away, as bethinking him that my thick wit could not comprehend his nice instruction. _Chap. iii._: TREATS OF THE SUFFERINGS OF A FAITHFUL BAGPIPE So I began to make such ado with my bagpipe and such noise that 'twas enough to poison all the toads in the garden, and so methought I was safe enough from the wolf that was ever in my mind: and remembering me of my mammy (for so they do use to call their mothers in the Spessart and the Vogelsberg) how she had often said the fowls would some time or other die of my singing, I fell upon the thought to sing the more, and so make my defence against the wolf stronger; and so I sang this which I had learned from my mammy: 1. O peasant race so much despised, How greatly art thou to be priz'd? Yea, none thy praises can excel, If men would only mark thee well. 2. How would it with the world now stand Had Adam never till'd the land? With spade and hoe he dug the earth From whom our princes have their birth. 3. Whatever earth doth bear this day Is under thine high rule and sway, And all that fruitful makes the land Is guided by thy master hand. 4. The emperor whom God doth give Us to protect, thereby doth live: So doth the soldier: though his trade To thy great loss and harm be made. 5. Meat for our feasts thou dost provide: Our wine by thee too is supplied: Thy plough can force the earth to give That bread whereby all men must live. 6. All waste the earth and desert were Didst thou not ply thy calling there: Sad day shall that for all be found When peasants cease to till the ground. 7. So hast thou right to laud and praise, For thou dost feed us all our days. Nature herself thee well doth love, And God thy handiwork approve. 8. Whoever yet on earth did hear Of peasant that the gout did fear; That fell disease which rich men dread, Whereby is many a noble dead. 9. From all vainglory art thou free (As in these days thou well mayst be), And lest thou shouldst through pride have loss, God bids thee daily bear thy cross. 10.