The Ass and the Flute

Be it good or bad,
This little lay
To me occurred to-day,
By chance.

Through a field in our village
A wandering ass
One day did pass,
By chance.

Left by a careless swain,
Forgotten on the ground,
There a flute he found,
By chance.

As he stopped to smell it --
This donkey grave --
A snort he gave,
By chance.

Into the flute his breath
Happened to find its way,
And the flute began to play,
By chance.

"Oho! " said the wise beast,
"How well I can play!

Who will say me nay?

By chance. ".

There are donkeys plenty,
Who, without one jot of art,
May, for once, well play a part,
By chance.