This time the Fisherman, who is also an amateur
gardener and farmer on a small scale, draws an appropriate question, in
regard to which he enlightens us as follows; and what he says must be
true, as we know he has had experience with pigs and hens: -
"Which knows most, a pig or a hen?
'Tis hard to tell in rustic rhyme
What pigs or hens may know.
A cabbage-head in olden time
Sure knew enough to grow.
If Balm and corn to them were thrown
By parsimonious Bill
I think the fact would then be shown,
For Piggy'd eat his fill."
Next comes the Chemist with the question: -
"Do you like peanuts?
Peanuts are double,
And so is the trouble
Involved in effort
To answer it.
Hand over a few,
And see if I do
Not like peanuts
Better than Sanskrit"
Any one who had heard the Chemist warbling, -
"He who hath good peanuts and gives his neighbor none,
He sha'n't have any of my peanuts when his peanuts are gone,"
would not have doubted this.
The Philosopher next airs his learning in the following:
