Smelling a box containing meat,
A fox could just creep in
And ravenously eat and eat
Until no longer thin.
But when he could devour no more
And sought to leave, alas!
The hole he struggled through before
Refused to let him pass.
“Brother, there’s but one remedy,”
Advised a fox outside.
“After you’ve starved again, you’ll see
The door is amply wide.”
“It’s true,” bemoaned the caged-in beast.
“You need not tell me twice
That he who’s tempted by a feast
Should stop to read the price.”