Poor Beasts! The horse and mule live 30 years And nothing know of wines and beers. The goat and sheep at 20 die And never taste of Scotch or Rye. The cow drinks water by the ton And at 18 is mostly done. The dog at 15 cashes in Without the aid or rum and gin. The cat in milk and water soaks And then in 12 short years it croaks. The modest, sober, bone-dry hen Lays eggs for nogs, then dies at 10. All animals are strictly dry: They sinless live and swiftly die; But sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men Survive for three score years and ten. And some of them, a very few, Stay pickled till they’re 92. |
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