O, Mighty Atlas, thou hast borne the load Of hapless peoples smarting from the goad Of Tyranny, until thy giant strength Seems overtaxed and doomed to break at length. Unless thy vim endures with steadfast force; Unless thy Ship of State keeps on its course; Unless thou gird thy loins and stand astride, Colossus-like, the struggles that betide-- While all the Furies strive, the Turk and Hun, To sap thy power--undo what thou hast done-- Of what avail will all thy efforts be Against the tottering walls of Tyranny? And to what purpose will have lived thy men Who won imposing fame with sword or pen? And what, I pray, will all thy thousands slain Avail thy Empire if they've died in vain? PREPAREDNESS The Ostrich has his wings, but not for flight; He flies _on foot_ when danger is in sight; His mate lays eggs upon the desert reaches And "sands" them over when the leopard screeches. The eggs, thus mounded, fall an easy prey To feline foragers who slink that way. The Ostrich, thus, guards not his nest: instead He hides, in burning sands, his shameless head And lets his monoplane and rudder be Stripped of their plumage by an enemy. Ostriches should Carry Their Eggs in a Basket And use their Feathers For Dusting over the Desert. The Squirrel is quite a different kind of fowl: He works while others sleep, the sly old owl! And stores up food, against the rainy day, In secret nooks, from forest thieves away. When winter comes, or when besieged by foes, Securely housed he feasts and thumbs his nose And ridicules starvation: he's immune! While others, shiftless, sing another tune. The Squirrel, you see, is much misfortune spared In times of stress because he is prepared. Improvident Nuts Should Tear a Leaf From the Squirrel's Diary. A Heifer on the Railroad Crossing stood Chewing Contentment's Cud, as heifers should,-- When, rushing madly, "late again," there came The Noonday Mail. The Heifer was to blame For choosing her position, I would say, Because the Engine had the Right of Whey. The Cow was unprepared! Her switching tail Failed signally to flag the Noonday Mail. But why keep beefing over milk that's spilled? She heeded not the sign and thus was killed. Heifers with Unprotected Flanks should not Invite Rear-guard Actions. The Busy Bee improves the shining hours And gathers honey from the fragrant flowers. When Winter comes, forsaking field and rill, He _hivernates_, but lives in clover still. While Famine stalks without, his Home, _Sweet_ Home Is stored with tempting food from floor to dome.