Moral tales/The Country Laſs and her Milk-Pail

The Country Laſs and her Milk Pail.

IT happen'd on a ſummer's day,
⁠A country laſs, as freſh as May,
Clad in a wholeſome ruffet gown,
Was going to the market town;
So blythe her looks, ſo ſimply clean,
You'd take her for a May-day queen;
Save ſtead of garland, ſays the tale,
Her head bore Brindy's loaded pail.
⁠As on her way ſhe paſs'd along,
She humm'd the fragments of a ſong;
She did not ham for want of thought,
Quite pleas'd with what to ſale ſhe brought,
And reckon'd, by her own account,
When all was ſold the whole amount.
⁠Thus, ſhe, in time, this little ware,
Will turn to great account with care ;
My milk being ſold for-ſo and ſo,
I'll buy ſome eggs as market go,
And ſet them-at the time I fix,
Theſe eggs will bring as many chicks.
I'll ſpare no pains to feed them well,
They'll bring vaſt profit when they ſell ;
With this I'll buy a little pig,
And when 'tis grown up fat and big,
I'll ſell it to my neighbour Howe,
And with the money buy a cow.
This cow will ſurely have a calf,
And there's the profit, half and half ;
Beſides, there's butter, milk, and cheese
To keep the market when I pleaſe,
All which I'll ſell and buy a farm,
Then ſhall of ſweethearts have a swarm.
Oh ! then for ribbons, gloves, and rings,
Ay ! more than twenty pretty things.
One brings me this, another that,
And I ſhall have--I scarce know what.
Fir'd with the thought, she gave a bound,
And down came milk-pail on the ground ;
Eggs, fowls, pig, hog, (ah, well a-day !)
Cow, calf, and farm-all ſwam away.

Be warn'd by this, ye British fair,
And build no caſtles in the air.