Tom and Jerry were old friends for long;

When once it happened to rain

For ten days without a break, Tom said,

“I fear that Jerry may be in distress. . .”

So he wrapped up some bread and milk

And went to give it to Jerry to eat.

When he came to his bosom friend’s door,

What there issued from behind it

Sounds between wailing and singing,

And there came the words: “O, Heaven!

O, Earth! Oh, men of the whole world! . .”

The voice could not sustain itself

And the line was hurriedly pronounced.

Tom entered and asked,

“Why are you singing this line

Of your song in such a hastily way?”

Poor Jerry replied,

“I was thinking and thinking in vain,

How it was that I was brought

To such an ignominious state,

To the very top of my extremity!

Would my parents have wished me

To be so poor? Heaven overspreads

All things without partiality,

And so does Earth sustain them all.

Would Heaven and Earth

Make me so much lost and unhappy

With any unkindly feeling? I was trying

To find out who had done it to me,

And I actually could not do so.

But here I am in extremity—it is what

Was appointed for me by my destiny!”

At that, Tom said,

“When you are saying such things

Your appearance becomes repelling;

You stare with your dazed eyes,

Your face is broad and your head tapering;

You bark and growl with your mouth,

And your voice is severe and pretentious;

You are like a horse held by its tether;

You would move, but are restrained;

If let you go, you would start off

Like an arrow from a bow, as you’re not

Familiar with a sense of proportion.

You are good at search in fine details,

But cannot see the main stream

Is artful and primitive and yet

You try to take the wish for reality.

All these are to be certain proofs

Of your want of sincerity, dude.

If on the borders you were

To be found with all this baggage

You’d be easily charged for overweight.

And lay your life with your own hands—

To weather these rainy days, my friend.”