Greener Grass Thinly Horse saw Fatted Steer, Through the slatted fence one year, Said he to Steer,

Now listen here, I have a question for your ear. Steer, the ever-cordial fellow, Turned to Horse, so cal and ellow! Horse "egan to rant and rave, # quite self-righteous equine $nave. %hy is it that y $ind all &lough, #nd "ear the 'an, and herd the (ow, #nd you, Fat Steer, are all at ease, )ating all the food you &lease* I+d trade you any, any day, #nd you could wor$ for a scra& of hay, The Steer "lin$ed cal ly and re&lied, %ith not an ounce of sass or snide. -erha&s you+d li$e to eat li$e e, #nd fro wor$ you would "e free, .ut don+t &resu e to want y fate, For I shall serve 'an on a &late. No, said chastised, hu "led Horse, I would not li$e to "e ain course. /oyal 0og wal$ed on the scene, #nd to &artici&ate was $een. Horse did not need &ro &ting twice! %as on 0og+s case in "ut a trice. /isten now, 0og, listen here, I was 1ust telling Fatted Steer, That Horses serve an with &ulled &lough, #nd saddled "ac$, and herded (ow. Now you are here, so I ust as$, 0o 0ogs have any sort of tas$* I $now you+re given lots of credit! 2u""ed and crooned and scratched and &etted, .ut all, I+ sure, you ever do, Is "ring 'an stic$s to &lay with you. I+d trade you any, any day, #nd you could wor$ without the &ay, 0og had no ti e to re&ly, %hen Steer let out a doleful cry,

(an you i agine how I feel, %hen I ust end u& as a eal* I+d also trade you any day, #nd you could fatten as I &lay, Here, the dog s&o$e u& at last, Said Hear$en here, and Not so fast, 3uite insulted was his &ride, This .order (ollie, "ona fide. I thin$ you fail to see the score, I wor$, Thinly Horse, and &lenty ore! I herd the cattle 4 I do too, .ut that+s not half of what I do, I ust learn 'an+s language, see* 5ou+re wrong if you thin$ that+s a "ree6e, I+ with hi every night and day, %hile you get rest when he+s away. 5es, I &lay and fetch hi stic$s! 7"lige hi with y friendly lic$s, I ust wor$ and also "e his friend, His Far and Heart are ine to tend. 3uoth Steer and Horse, 5es, I su&&ose, That your life, too, has cons and &ros. .ut all the three, 0og, Steer, and Horse, Thought others had it "est, of course. They+d little ti e in which to "rood, %hen in wal$ed (at, with his attitude. That weisenhei ing feline fiend, Had listened in, then intervened. 'y friends, &lease share what+s going on, I hate to "e e8cluded, Though your rhy e sche e drives e rather ad, #nd I thin$ I shall not use it. They turned and glared at catty (at, #nd 0og and Steer and Horse all s&at, 5ou ust use the rhy e sche e, too, 7r we+ll have nought to say to you, 7h very well, confor ed the &uss, I really don+t get all the fuss. No, They all too$ u& in cry, 2hy e to ear, don+t rhy e to eye,

#h, now I see, I+ll &lay y &art. 7f course, he+d seen right fro the start, .ut (at, he loves to inco ode, So always travels "y this road. %e were 1ust saying, said the Horse, 3uite cal ly, though the cal was forced, The three of us each lend a hand In different ways to serve the 'an. I ust &ull the heavy &lough, #nd carry 'an, and herd the cow, 0og does wor$ and is 'an+s friend, #nd Steer is eaten in the end. -ausing here, his Horse ears &inned, #s the (at loo$ed on and fairly grinned, It dawned on Horse whose lot was "est, #nd he continued, quite incensed. 5ou $now what+s 1ust occurred to e* That we wor$ hard, Steer, 0og, we three, #nd this (at with all his &ulchritude, %or$s not a bit to earn his food, /oyal 0og and Fatted Steer, 9oined into Horse+s "uilding 1eer, Towards that saucy (at, now ai ed, %ho grinned until their te &ers fla ed. He waited +till the indignation, Tired out the congregation, Then lea&ed ato& the slatted fence, #nd let the wait for his defence. He gave it to the "y and "y, )8&ression s ug and oh so wry. 5ou see, (at really is a 1er$, His &ri rose &ath to rile and ir$. So he "egan with tongue so shar&, %his$ers e8cited as strings on a har&, Tail as a-twitch as a crac$ing whi&! :oice-&urr that ca e oc$ing and slow through his li&. #h, 5ou have arrived at last, 5our wit is truly none too fast. 7h, the envy "etwi8t you three! 5ou ought only, really, to envy e, To Fatted Steer did (at turn his face,

%al$ing his way at a 1aunty &ace, Sat a"ove Steer and without ore delay, .egan in his devilish, oc$ing way. fed till I+ full, 1ust as you, Fatted Steer, .ut I shall live on, far &ast the year, 'an would not thin$ to &arta$e of my eat! I+ afraid it will always "e you that they eat. He left Fatted Steer to dread at this sting, Turning on 0og for the ne8t verse to fling. (at as a coward, one could surely i &each, .ut he was quite doughty when out of 0og+s reach. 5ou thin$ you are "est friend to 'an, /oyal 0og* Then why does he always give you scold and flog* Though I never &ut wor$ towards 'an in a day, They never treat me in this cold, cruel way. 0og $new that (at used his lies as an art, .ut false as they were, they cut to his heart. To his final victi , (at turned very slow, #nd shar&ened his tongue for this last, final "low. 5ou $now, I don+t thin$ that 'an notice you uch, 5ou wor$ li$e a slave and are thought of as such. 'an never urges ore effort fro me, Fro rides, &ulls, and $ic$s, I+ll always "e free. Thinly Horse ay not see quite a genuine soul, .ut (at+s cruel words too$ their designed toll. Horse only ever, with &ride, raved and ranted, For fear that, "y 'an, he was ta$en for granted. The da age of words had "een done to the all, Steer, 0og, and Horse loo$ed ready to fall, .ut (at had disgruntled the ore than he $new! Their anger "urst forth, having had ti e to stew. Steer was the first one to gather his wits. # snort ru&tured forth fro his four-sto ached &its, He lo&ed to the fence where (at was a-&erch, #nd said, as he ra ed with a cu "erso e lurch, I ay not live long, "ut I shan't envy you! 5ou and your ways, I shall not 1ust eschew, I, and y $ind, shall see$ you to ra , #nd you shall "e su"1ect to fear, as I a , The 0og was ins&ired "y Steer+s worthy s&at, #nd 1oined hi at fence to threaten the (at. I+

He stood u& against it as high as he could, ;rowling at (at +till he shoo$ the fence wood. I ay not "e s&oiled, "ut I shan't envy you! 5ou and your ways, I+ll also eschew! 'oreover, I+ll &ro ise of e and y $ind, #lways to chase you, to hunt and to find.

Horse then ca e gallo&ing u& to the fence, )ager to add his alicious two cents, He, with head highest of all of the three, ;ave a great screech to sha$e (at of es&rit. ay not "e &raised, "ut I shan't envy you! 5ou and your ways, I, too, will eschew! %hat+s ore, I will &lague you as 'an has done e, 0rive, ride, and $ic$ +till you never feel free. 0es&ite any discord olded that day, )ach of the three still serves 'an in his way! )ach does his duty as a creature of )arth, #nd is ha&&y to do so, fulfilling his worth. .ut (at, he continued to dodge and to shir$, Not feeling he wanted the duty of wor$. However, he could not have all days of ease, Since the day that those three he+d decided to tease. That last fateful day that the (at wandered free, The three had their say, and then left hi to "e, .ut still, these three creatures, 'an+s faithful few, 0id as they+d &ro ised the (at that they+d do. Steer whi&s his u66le underneath (at, #nd tosses that fiend in the air li$e a hat, %hile he fli&s and turns, and fearfully reels, Steer ho&es he will taste of the fear that he feels. 0og tries to catch hi , to tear in his 1aw, To sin$ into hi the teeth of his aw, The heart of the (at he is trying to "ore, #s the (at did to him when he cut to his core. Horse tries to $ic$ (at, as 'an does to chide, #nd ste& on his "ac$ to "ear Horse for a ride. #nd chases hi as he is chased fro the &lough, #nd tries to control hi , as he does the (ow. I