The Quarrel: A Poem

THE QUARREL.* {For the Improvement Era). About some small trifles, that didn't quite suit, Two garter snakes once had an angry dispute. They wrestled and wriggled and parried and coiled, And mockingly hissed as each other they foiled. Till one, by some chance, grabbed the other's long tail. Who in similar way did his rival assail. And now you must see, for its probably true. That they both would hold fast, for what else could they do? And although astonished, they couldn't say so. But lay there, a ring, like a great big round 0. Then each swallowed down quite a bit of its neighbor. Though plainly, it wasn't a right tasteful labor. And as each tail slipped in 'neath a rival's low crown. Why the heads they went up, and the tails they went down. Now this is both logic and equity too. So clearly can one such a problem see through. They kept on a swallowing, slowly and sure, For in like jurisprudence there can be no cure. And a growing still less as the minutes flew past, — 'Tis a logical sequence what happened at last, — For bye-and-bye, surely such facts never fail, They swallowed each other, head, body and tail ! And thus these two reptiles, 'tis sad to relate. Left nothing to show their astonishing fate. MORAL. In fighting your neighbor o' er questions of pelf. Beware ! or you may be destroying yourself. J. L. TOWNSEND. Payson, Utah. * While studying natural history, the writer read of one who saw two snakes in the act of swallowing each other. Upon returning to the place, some hours after, no trace of the reptiles could be found. This peculiar circimistance suggested this verse and moral.